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Thomas L Sims Middle School

Q: Is Thomas L Sims Middle School a good school?

Thomas L Sims Middle School ranks 258 th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

258^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,216 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 79% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Thomas L Sims Middle School in Pace, FL, is a high-performing public school serving 823 students in grades 6-8 within the Santa Rosa County School District, a district ranked in the top 30% of Florida. Sims stands out as a clear academic leader among its local peers, consistently earning 4-star ratings for the last nine years and ranking in the 79th percentile statewide. Its test scores significantly outpace the district and state averages, with 82% of 8th graders proficient in math and 71% in science, compared to 73% and 60% district-wide. The school also excels in advanced coursework, with 100% of students passing the Geometry EOC and 90% passing Algebra 1, far exceeding district and state rates.

What truly differentiates Sims is its remarkable efficiency and strong student engagement. The school spends just $7,999 per student—the lowest among all comparable schools in the area—while achieving top-tier results. For context, J. H. Workman Middle School in the Escambia district spends over $12,000 per student but ranks in the 29th percentile. Sims also boasts a chronic absenteeism rate of only 14.4%, nearly half the state average and far better than the 23.5% to 32.0% rates seen at other Santa Rosa middle schools like Martin Luther King Middle School and Hobbs Middle School. This suggests a strong culture of attendance and student commitment.

While Sims is the top traditional public school in its immediate area, it faces competition from Beulah Academy of Science, a charter school in Escambia County that ranks slightly higher (83rd percentile) and outperforms Sims in 7th grade ELA (89% vs. 61%) and Civics (97% vs. 76%). Additionally, Sims shows a slight downward trend from its peak 91st percentile ranking in 2015-2016, and a recurring "7th grade slump" in ELA proficiency (61% vs. 79% in 6th grade) suggests a need for targeted support. Despite these nuances, Sims remains a cost-effective, high-quality choice for families, delivering exceptional value and academic excellence in the Pace community.

823

Students ?

20.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,999

Per pupil spending ?

40.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5500 Education Dr
Pace, FL 32571

(850) 995-3676

District: Santa Rosa

Students who attend Thomas L Sims Middle School usually attend:

High:

Pace High School

Feeder schools for Thomas L Sims Middle School:

Elementary:	S. S. Dixon Intermediate School
	S. S. Dixon Primary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.1%

Two or more races:

9.6%

Hispanic:

8.4%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Thomas L Sims Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2016 → 79th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (75% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of Florida middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg67%

Florida avg62%

258^th of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Top 21%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 7Middle Schools in the Santa Rosa

22^nd of 70Santa Rosa among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	75.6	258 of 1216	78.8%	★★★★☆
2025	77.6	239 of 1205	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	79.8	204 of 1196	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	208 of 1177	82.3%	★★★★☆
2022	80.8	194 of 1148	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	82.8	154 of 1136	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.6	156 of 1099	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	86.0	132 of 1035	87.2%	★★★★☆
2017	84.6	143 of 1031	86.1%	★★★★☆
2016	88.7	87 of 997	91.3%	★★★★★
2014	86.4	103 of 999	89.7%	★★★★☆
2013	82.4	138 of 956	85.6%	★★★★☆
2012	84.1	116 of 897	87.1%	★★★★☆
2011	82.7	130 of 891	85.4%	★★★★☆
2010	82.0	124 of 839	85.2%	★★★★☆
2009	86.3	79 of 780	89.9%	★★★★☆
2008	87.3	73 of 740	90.1%	★★★★★
2007	89.1	59 of 736	92.0%	★★★★★
2006	86.2	72 of 675	89.3%	★★★★☆
2005	90.5	40 of 602	93.4%	★★★★★
2004	86.6	58 of 593	90.2%	★★★★★

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Algebra 198%+35 vs state

Civics76%~ state avg

Math76%+17 vs state

English Language Arts72%+11 vs state

Science71%+19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thomas L Sims Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas L Sims Middle School	Public	6-8	5500 Education Dr	Pace	32571	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 995-3676	823	40	20.5	40.1%	626 (76.1%)	25 (3.0%)	69 (8.4%)	17 (2.1%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.6%)	79 (9.6%)	75.6	258^th of 1216 public middle schools	78.8%		77.6	239^th of 1205 public middle schools	80.2%	19	79.0	61.0	77.0	72.0	72.0	82.0	71.0	98.0			76.0	$7,999	$486	$7,513
Hobbs Middle School	Public	6-8	5317 Glover Ln	Milton	32570	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 983-5630	743	31	23.9	62.3%	526 (70.8%)	61 (8.2%)	53 (7.1%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.5%)	91 (12.2%)	46.2	676^th of 1216 public middle schools	44.4%		46.7	645^th of 1205 public middle schools	46.5%	31	59.0	56.0	54.0	62.0	31.0	63.0	51.0	98.0	100.0		72.0	$8,102	$521	$7,580
Avalon Middle School	Public	6-8	5445 King Arthurs Way	Milton	32583	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 983-5540	768	41	18.7	55.5%	545 (71.0%)	50 (6.5%)	80 (10.4%)	15 (2.0%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	71 (9.2%)	48.7	638^th of 1216 public middle schools	47.5%		59.1	475^th of 1205 public middle schools	60.6%	163	57.0	60.0	58.0	55.0	45.0	71.0	47.0	99.0			83.0	$8,803	$648	$8,155
Martin Luther King Middle School	Public	6-8	5928 Stewart St	Milton	32570	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 983-5660	621	34	18.2	65.5%	440 (70.9%)	53 (8.5%)	42 (6.8%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	76 (12.2%)	39.5	781^st of 1216 public middle schools	35.8%		40.4	741^st of 1205 public middle schools	38.5%	40	55.0	57.0	56.0	42.0	44.0	56.0	46.0	99.0			72.0	$10,177	$724	$9,453
Ferry Pass Middle School	Public	6-8	8355 Yancey Ave	Pensacola	32514	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 494-5650	897	48	18.6	58.1%	316 (35.2%)	359 (40.0%)	104 (11.6%)	35 (3.9%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	76 (8.5%)	36.6	825^th of 1216 public middle schools	32.2%		34.3	829^th of 1205 public middle schools	31.2%	4	43.0	52.0	53.0	50.0	38.0	62.0	48.0	97.0	100.0	87.0	71.0	$9,276	$1,032	$8,244
J. H. Workman Middle School	Public	6-8	6299 Lanier Dr	Pensacola	32504	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 494-5665	602	36	16.7	68.9%	108 (17.9%)	345 (57.3%)	114 (18.9%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	27 (4.5%)	34	859^th of 1216 public middle schools	29.4%		24.6	943^rd of 1205 public middle schools	21.7%	84	36.0	51.0	48.0	35.0	46.0	64.0	59.0	84.0		75.0	72.0	$12,126	$1,369	$10,758
Ransom Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 W Kingsfield Rd	Cantonment	32533	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	No	(850) 937-2220	1,180	63	18.7	46.2%	789 (66.9%)	206 (17.5%)	74 (6.3%)	18 (1.5%)	7 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	84 (7.1%)	58	499^th of 1216 public middle schools	59.0%		60.8	446^th of 1205 public middle schools	63.0%	53	65.0	62.0	59.0	71.0	42.0	67.0	58.0	90.0	95.0	83.0	81.0	$8,764	$688	$8,076
Brown Barge Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	201 Hancock Ln	Pensacola	32503	Escambia County	Escambia	No	Yes	No	No	(850) 494-5640	542	30	18.0	30.8%	287 (53.0%)	96 (17.7%)	58 (10.7%)	34 (6.3%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	61 (11.3%)	89.1	81^st of 1216 public middle schools	93.3%		88.7	93^rd of 1205 public middle schools	92.3%	12	88.0	84.0	85.0	92.0	52.0	90.0	73.0	95.0	100.0		81.0	$9,017	$405	$8,612
Bellview Middle School	Public	6-8	6201 Mobile Hwy	Pensacola	32526	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 777-5800	719	43	16.7	66.1%	149 (20.7%)	379 (52.7%)	117 (16.3%)	13 (1.8%)	3 (0.4%)	6 (0.8%)	52 (7.2%)	20	1036^th of 1216 public middle schools	14.8%		15.8	1060^th of 1205 public middle schools	12.0%	24	34.0	45.0	36.0	33.0	45.0	40.0	39.0	72.0		54.0	61.0	$11,790	$1,514	$10,277
Beulah Academy Of Science	Public, Charter	6-8	8633 Beulah Rd	Pensacola	32526	Escambia County	Escambia	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 944-2822	318	19	16.7	28.3%	232 (73.0%)	19 (6.0%)	26 (8.2%)	15 (4.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.2%)	79.9	201^st of 1216 public middle schools	83.5%		76.4	256^th of 1205 public middle schools	78.8%	55	78.0	89.0	63.0	72.0	81.0	88.0	80.0	100.0	100.0	79.0	97.0	$7,098	$00	$7,098

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas L Sims Middle School

Is Thomas L Sims Middle School a good school?

Thomas L Sims Middle School ranks 258^th of 1216 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas L Sims Middle School?

Students at Thomas L Sims Middle School are 76% White, 10% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Thomas L Sims Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 823 students attended Thomas L Sims Middle School.

What district is Thomas L Sims Middle School in?

Santa Rosa

What high school do graduates of Thomas L Sims Middle School attend?

Students who attend Thomas L Sims Middle School usually go on to attend Pace High School

Rate Thomas L Sims Middle School!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataAug 18, 2026

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.