Howard Middle School

Q: Is Howard Middle School a good school?

Howard Middle School ranks 684 th of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Howard Middle School is a public middle school located in Ocala, Florida, serving 980 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Marion School District, which is ranked 61 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite consistently outperforming the Marion district and the state of Florida in key test score metrics, such as 88% proficiency in EOC/Algebra 1 and 92% proficiency in EOC/Geometry, Howard Middle School's statewide ranking has declined over the past several years, dropping from 292 out of 999 Florida middle schools in 2013-2014 to 684 out of 1,196 in 2023-2024. The school also faces challenges with a high rate of chronic absenteeism, which has increased from 19.1% in 2019-2020 to 31.4% in 2022-2023, though it still performs better than some nearby schools like Lake Weir Middle School (48.5%) and Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks (38.3%).

While Howard Middle School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (60.1%), it has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with a higher percentage of African American (37.35%) and Hispanic (21.53%) students. Addressing the root causes of the school's declining statewide ranking, such as student engagement, teacher quality, or school climate, as well as the high chronic absenteeism rate, could be key to improving the school's overall performance and outcomes.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

1655 NW 10th St
Ocala, FL 34475

(352) 671-7225

District: Marion

SchoolDigger Rank:
684^th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,349

Students who attend Howard Middle School usually attend:

High:

West Port High School

Feeder schools for Howard Middle School:

Elementary:

Oakcrest Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.3

Number of students: 891

Racial breakdown:

African American:

35.9%

White:

26.8%

Hispanic:

23.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.4%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Howard Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Howard Middle School ranks worse than 57.2% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 5^th among 10 ranked middle schools in the Marion School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.26. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Howard Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (35.9%), White (26.8%), Hispanic (23.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Howard Middle School is 19.3, which is the 4^th best among 10 middle schools in the Marion School District. (See more...)

Compare Howard Middle School employs 46 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Howard Middle School is $9,349, which is the 2^nd highest among 10 middle schools in the Marion School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Howard Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Howard Middle School 684^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Howard Middle School in the ranking list.)

Marion:

SchoolDigger ranks Marion 61^st of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Howard Middle School.

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Rank History for Howard Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	56.60	277^th	593	53.3%
2005	63.19	229^th	602	62.0%
2006	73.21	169^th	675	75.0%
2007	66.50	251^st	736	65.9%
2008	67.58	243^rd	740	67.2%
2009	63.92	287^th	780	63.2%
2010	68.05	276^th	839	67.1%
2011	68.41	290^th	891	67.5%
2012	72.25	230^th	897	74.4%
2013	71.63	251^st	956	73.7%
2014	68.89	292^nd	999	70.8%
2016	66.27	308^th	997	69.1%
2017	61.14	379^th	1031	63.2%
2018	59.79	392^nd	1035	62.1%
2019	53.84	507^th	1099	53.9%
2021	45.59	616^th	1136	45.8%
2022	42.05	652^nd	1148	43.2%
2023	42.34	670^th	1177	43.1%
2024	43.26	684^th	1196	42.8%

See the entire list of Florida Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Howard Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	424	395	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	835
1989	445	394	5	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	859
1990	436	387	1	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	842
1991	431	375	1	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	823
1992	445	409	0	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	875
1993	486	454	2	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	967
1994	481	522	1	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	1033
1995	502	482	2	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	1018
1996	502	482	2	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	1018
1997	596	518	4	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	1155
1998	685	511	5	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	1245
1999	745	552	8	38	5	n/a	n/a	0	1348
2000	726	557	13	46	5	n/a	n/a	0	1347
2001	680	514	14	48	3	n/a	n/a	0	1259
2002	629	454	12	42	1	n/a	n/a	0	1138
2003	629	454	12	42	1	n/a	n/a	0	1138
2004	714	481	13	47	2	n/a	n/a	0	1257
2005	677	471	23	54	2	n/a	n/a	0	1227
2006	610	435	25	54	5	n/a	n/a	0	1129
2007	540	425	30	72	6	n/a	n/a	37	1110
2008	515	347	33	76	7	n/a	n/a	45	1023
2009	515	339	30	81	3	n/a	n/a	40	1008
2010	506	353	35	78	2	n/a	n/a	50	1024
2011	461	303	27	100	7	2	51	0	951
2012	490	349	33	121	12	1	64	0	1070
2013	513	380	38	156	10	0	71	0	1168
2014	535	386	45	176	7	1	86	0	1236
2015	514	393	59	163	4	1	92	0	1226
2016	441	384	52	176	6	4	93	0	1156
2017	401	359	59	182	6	2	69	0	1078
2018	378	378	60	198	2	3	66	0	1085
2019	337	379	72	207	3	2	60	0	1060
2020	362	399	61	199	2	2	50	0	1075
2021	345	402	61	221	3	1	37	0	1070
2022	322	392	50	205	1	1	48	0	1019
2023	287	366	60	211	1	1	54	0	980
2024	239	320	63	212	3	1	53	0	891

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Howard Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	835	52.0	16.0	69.5
1989	859	56.0	15.3	49.4
1990	842	57.0	14.7	58.1
1991	823	55.0	14.9	54.8
1992	875	53.0	16.5	44.9
1993	967	55.0	17.6	52.7
1994	1033	56.0	18.4	55.9
1995	1018	58.0	17.6	55.9
1996	1018	58.0	17.6	55.9
1997	1155	65.0	17.8	52.5
1998	1245	72.0	17.3	52.2
1999	1348	75.0	18.0	50.4
2000	1347	75.0	18.0	52.6
2001	1259	75.0	16.8	55.5
2002	1138	64.0	17.8	55.7
2003	1138	64.0	17.8	55.7
2004	1257	67.0	18.8	47.6
2005	1227	73.0	16.8	53.1
2006	1129	66.0	17.1	50.1
2007	1110	67.0	16.6	53
2008	1023	63.0	16.2	52
2009	1008	68.7	16.3	49.2
2010	1024	58.0	17.6	59.5
2011	951	59.0	16.1	54.9
2012	1070	59.0	18.1	55.7
2013	1168	66.0	17.6	56.1
2014	1236	65.0	19.0	54
2015	1226	69.0	17.7	57.4
2016	1156	61.0	18.9	61.8
2017	1078	58.0	18.5	61.1
2018	1085	59.0	18.3	62.3
2019	1060	55.0	19.2	66.4
2020	1075	54.0	19.9	64.9
2021	1070	52.0	20.5	62.5
2022	1019	53.0	19.2	62.7
2023	980	47.0	20.8	60.1
2024	891	46.0	19.3	60.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Howard Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	835	52.0	16.0	69.5
1989	859	56.0	15.3	49.4
1990	842	57.0	14.7	58.1
1991	823	55.0	14.9	54.8
1992	875	53.0	16.5	44.9
1993	967	55.0	17.6	52.7
1994	1033	56.0	18.4	55.9
1995	1018	58.0	17.6	55.9
1996	1018	58.0	17.6	55.9
1997	1155	65.0	17.8	52.5
1998	1245	72.0	17.3	52.2
1999	1348	75.0	18.0	50.4
2000	1347	75.0	18.0	52.6
2001	1259	75.0	16.8	55.5
2002	1138	64.0	17.8	55.7
2003	1138	64.0	17.8	55.7
2004	1257	67.0	18.8	47.6
2005	1227	73.0	16.8	53.1
2006	1129	66.0	17.1	50.1
2007	1110	67.0	16.6	53
2008	1023	63.0	16.2	52
2009	1008	68.7	16.3	49.2
2010	1024	58.0	17.6	59.5
2011	951	59.0	16.1	54.9
2012	1070	59.0	18.1	55.7
2013	1168	66.0	17.6	56.1
2014	1236	65.0	19.0	54
2015	1226	69.0	17.7	57.4
2016	1156	61.0	18.9	61.8
2017	1078	58.0	18.5	61.1
2018	1085	59.0	18.3	62.3
2019	1060	55.0	19.2	66.4
2020	1075	54.0	19.9	64.9
2021	1070	52.0	20.5	62.5
2022	1019	53.0	19.2	62.7
2023	980	47.0	20.8	60.1
2024	891	46.0	19.3	60.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Howard Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$522 (7.4%)	$6,505 (92.6%)	$7,027
2019	$529 (7.3%)	$6,707 (92.7%)	$7,236
2020	$494 (6.9%)	$6,670 (93.1%)	$7,164
2021	$722 (9.2%)	$7,165 (90.8%)	$7,887
2022	$1,211 (14.0%)	$7,418 (86.0%)	$8,630
2023	$1,273 (13.6%)	$8,076 (86.4%)	$9,349

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Howard Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 507^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 670^th of 1177 Middle schools	10.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Howard Middle School)	51	45	6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	45	42	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Howard Middle School)	52	43	9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	46	40	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Howard Middle School)	58	46	12%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	46	39	7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Howard Middle School)	55	38	17%
7th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	49	40	9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Howard Middle School)	60	50	10%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Marion)	50	38	12%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Howard Middle School)	29	19	10%
8th Grade Mathematics (Marion)	41	26	15%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Howard Middle School)	55	43	12%
8th Grade Science (Marion)	44	37	7%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Howard Middle School)	69	59	10%
End of Course Civics (Marion)	65	58	7%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Howard Middle School)	100	92	8%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Marion)	55	44	11%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Howard Middle School)	100	98	2%
End of Course Geometry (Marion)	51	41	10%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1060	980	7.5%
African American	379	366	3.4%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	72	60	16.7%
Hispanic	207	211	1.9%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	337	287	14.8%
Two or More Races	60	54	10%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.4%	60.1%	6.3%

Schools Near Howard Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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 Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Howard Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1655 NW 10th St	Ocala	34475	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-7225	891	46	19.3	60.4%	239 (26.8%)	320 (35.9%)	212 (23.8%)	63 (7.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (5.9%)	43.3	684^th of 1196 public middle schools	42.8%		42.3	670^th of 1177 public middle schools	43.1%	14	52.0	47.0	46.0	49.0	19.0	52.0	43.0	88.0	92.0	57.0	$9,349	$1,273	$8,076
Osceola Middle School	Public	6-8	526 SE Tuscawilla Ave	Ocala	34471	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	No	(352) 671-7100	915	45	20.3	43.4%	498 (54.4%)	142 (15.5%)	191 (20.9%)	18 (2.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	63 (6.9%)	58.6	462^nd of 1196 public middle schools	61.4%		61.4	419^th of 1177 public middle schools	64.4%	43	61.0	48.0	51.0	58.0	67.0	52.0	50.0	88.0	100.0	70.0	$8,956	$1,268	$7,688
Fort King Middle School	Public	6-8	545 NE 17th Ave	Ocala	34470	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-4725	993	47	21.1	69.2%	428 (43.1%)	243 (24.5%)	266 (26.8%)	6 (0.6%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	41 (4.1%)	26	916^th of 1196 public middle schools	23.4%		27.1	881^st of 1177 public middle schools	25.1%	35	41.0	32.0	33.0	40.0	22.0	47.0	32.0	64.0		48.0	$8,350	$1,408	$6,943
Ocali Charter Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3233 SE Maricamp Rd	Ocala	34478	Marion County	Marion	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 264-9940	194	11	17.6	59.3%	87 (44.8%)	29 (14.9%)	62 (32.0%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.2%)	46.4	638^th of 1196 public middle schools	46.7%		26.1	893^rd of 1177 public middle schools	24.1%	255	62.0	42.0	52.0	63.0	36.0	39.0	36.0	40.0	91.0	47.0	$7,605	$868	$6,737
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	4773 SW 95th St	Ocala	34476	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 291-7930	1,184	62	19.0	55.1%	382 (32.3%)	240 (20.3%)	430 (36.3%)	53 (4.5%)	5 (0.4%)	5 (0.4%)	69 (5.8%)	41.2	705^th of 1196 public middle schools	41.1%		37.5	734^th of 1177 public middle schools	37.6%	29	53.0	40.0	43.0	48.0	29.0	54.0	45.0	74.0	93.0	67.0	$8,373	$1,274	$7,099
North Marion Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2085 W Highway 329	Citra	32113	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6035	772	37	20.8	68.3%	315 (40.8%)	220 (28.5%)	190 (24.6%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.2%)	28.4	883^rd of 1196 public middle schools	26.2%		19.5	987^th of 1177 public middle schools	16.1%	104	47.0	40.0	36.0	41.0	27.0	39.0	30.0	83.0	100.0	47.0	$9,286	$1,754	$7,531
Belleview Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	10500 SE 36th Ave	Belleview	34420	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6235	1,541	67	23.0	58.8%	821 (53.3%)	194 (12.6%)	425 (27.6%)	7 (0.5%)	6 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	86 (5.6%)	47.7	621^st of 1196 public middle schools	48.1%		41.7	680^th of 1177 public middle schools	42.2%	59	58.0	43.0	52.0	64.0	29.0	44.0	46.0	84.0	100.0	65.0	$7,730	$1,302	$6,428
Horizon Academy At Marion Oaks	Public, Magnet	6-8	365 Marion Oaks Dr	Ocala	34473	Marion County	Marion	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 671-6290	1,112	56	19.8	66.5%	241 (21.7%)	248 (22.3%)	551 (49.6%)	10 (0.9%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	54 (4.9%)	28.4	886^th of 1196 public middle schools	25.9%		31.1	828^th of 1177 public middle schools	29.7%	58	33.0	37.0	41.0	40.0	36.0	46.0	30.0	87.0	96.0	44.0	$8,984	$1,930	$7,054
Lake Weir Middle School	Public	6-8	10220 SE Sunset Harbor Rd	Summerfield	34491	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6120	1,101	49	22.4	74.0%	474 (43.1%)	213 (19.3%)	314 (28.5%)	17 (1.5%)	6 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	74 (6.7%)	22.7	960^th of 1196 public middle schools	19.7%		21.9	952^nd of 1177 public middle schools	19.1%	8	35.0	27.0	39.0	32.0	28.0	44.0	28.0	82.0	100.0	38.0	$8,665	$2,007	$6,658

Frequently Asked Questions about Howard Middle School

What district is Howard Middle School in?

Marion

What is the racial makeup of Howard Middle School?

Students at Howard Middle School are 36% African American, 27% White, 24% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Howard Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 891 students attended Howard Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Howard Middle School attend?

Students who attend Howard Middle School usually go on to attend West Port High School

Is Howard Middle School a good school?

Howard Middle School ranks 684^th of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.