Suwannee Middle School

Suwannee Middle School in Live Oak, FL, serves 971 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Suwannee County School District, which ranks in the 30th percentile among Florida districts.

This school has clear strengths and significant challenges. On the positive side, it excels in advanced math, with 73% of students proficient in Algebra 1—outperforming both the district (59%) and state (63%) averages. Science scores are also a bright spot, with 8th graders matching or exceeding state proficiency in recent years. However, the school struggles with a severe chronic absenteeism crisis: 47.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2023-2024 school year, far above the state average of 31.4%. This directly impacts academic performance, especially in 8th-grade math, where proficiency has been volatile and often well below state averages. The school has been a consistent 2-star performer for the last decade, and while it shows pockets of excellence, it has not broken through to a 3-star rating.

There are no other schools within 20 miles of Suwannee Middle School for direct comparison. The school spends about $8,928 per student, which is below the typical Florida state average, making it harder to address challenges like high poverty (58.7% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch) and absenteeism. The school’s success with its top math students is commendable, but families should be aware that the general 8th-grade math curriculum and chronic absenteeism are critical areas needing improvement. Overall, Suwannee Middle School offers strong programs in advanced math and science, but its ability to serve all students effectively is hampered by these persistent issues.