Summary:
In zip code 32605, there is one middle school, Westwood Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in Gainesville, Florida, as part of the Alachua County school district, which ranks in the bottom third of Florida districts.
Westwood Middle School presents a mixed picture for parents. On one hand, the school has a standout advanced math program: 100% of tested students were proficient in Geometry in 2024-2025, and 84% were proficient in 2025-2026, far exceeding state averages. Algebra 1 proficiency was also strong at 64% in 2025-2026. However, this success contrasts sharply with performance in standard grade-level math. Only 19% of 8th graders were proficient in math in 2025-2026, a massive 42-percentage-point gap below the state average. English Language Arts scores are also below state averages across all grades, with 6th grade at 50%, 7th at 45%, and 8th at 53% proficient. Civics scores (48%) are well below the district (70%) and state (77%) averages.
A major concern is the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 33.3%, meaning one in three students misses significant school time, which is likely a key driver of low test scores. The school has a high student-teacher ratio of 22.5 to 1, and nearly half of students (47.89%) are economically disadvantaged. While the school excels at accelerating select students into advanced math, the general student body struggles, creating a "two-tiered" system. Year-over-year data shows a notable decline in Algebra 1 proficiency from 76% to 64%, warranting further investigation. Any improvement plan must first address the attendance crisis to boost overall academic performance.
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