Summary:
Zip code 32967 in Vero Beach, Florida, is home to two middle schools serving grades 6 through 8, both part of the highly-rated Indian River School District.
Storm Grove Middle School has been a consistently solid performer, maintaining a 3-star state rating over the past three years and improving its percentile rank to the 56th percentile. It serves 904 students with a student-teacher ratio of 19.6:1 and per-student spending of $9,502. In contrast, Gifford Middle School has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 36th percentile to the 60th percentile in just two years, now ranking slightly higher than Storm Grove. Gifford serves 608 students with a 19:1 student-teacher ratio but spends significantly more per student at $12,949. Both schools have similar proficiency rates in core subjects, with Gifford slightly ahead in ELA (61.7% vs. 61.3%) and math (57% vs. 54.7%). However, Gifford stands out in advanced end-of-course exams, achieving a perfect 100% proficiency in Biology 1 and 98% in Geometry, compared to Storm Grove's 96% in Geometry.
A key challenge for both schools is chronic absenteeism, with Gifford at 45.9% and Storm Grove at 35.7%, both well above the state average. Additionally, 8th-grade math is a consistent weak point, with both schools scoring below the state average of 61% (Storm Grove at 42%, Gifford at 47%). Gifford serves a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (64.64% free/reduced lunch) compared to Storm Grove (51.88%), and its higher spending may be effectively targeted to support advanced programs. Overall, families in this area have two solid options, with Gifford showing rapid improvement and Storm Grove offering stable, reliable performance.
Thank you for your feedback!