Thomas L Sims Middle School

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

Thomas L Sims Middle School ranks 204 th of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Thomas L Sims Middle School is a public middle school in Pace, Florida, serving 1,098 students in grades 6-8 and part of the highly-ranked Santa Rosa school district.

This school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with significantly higher proficiency rates in subjects like Algebra 1, Geometry, and 8th grade Math. It also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate compared to nearby Escambia district schools, and spends less per student while maintaining strong outcomes. Thomas L Sims Middle School has earned a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranks in the top 20% of Florida middle schools, suggesting effective teaching practices and support systems are in place to foster student success.

While the school's student population is predominantly White, it has a more diverse racial makeup compared to nearby Escambia district schools. This diversity may contribute to a more inclusive learning environment. When compared to other local middle schools, Thomas L Sims Middle School stands out for its academic performance, attendance, and efficient use of resources, making it a model for other schools in the region to learn from and potentially replicate its successful strategies.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5500 Education Dr
Pace, FL 32571

(850) 995-3676

District: Santa Rosa

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,695

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

Student/teacher ratio: 21.2

Number of students: 850

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.8%

Hispanic:

9.8%

Two or more races:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.8%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Thomas L Sims Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thomas L Sims Middle School ranks better than 82.9% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 2^nd among 7 ranked middle schools in the Santa Rosa School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.79. (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 Racial makeup is: White (75.8%), Hispanic (9.8%), two or more races (8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas L Sims Middle School is 21.2. 3 middle schools in the Santa Rosa School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Thomas L Sims Middle School employs 40 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas L Sims Middle School is $6,695. 5 middle schools in the Santa Rosa School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Thomas L Sims Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas L Sims Middle School 204^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Thomas L Sims Middle School in the ranking list.)

Santa Rosa:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Rosa 15^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Thomas L Sims Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	86.57	58^th	593	90.2%
2005	90.53	40^th	602	93.4%
2006	86.18	72^nd	675	89.3%
2007	89.06	59^th	736	92.0%
2008	87.32	73^rd	740	90.1%
2009	86.32	79^th	780	89.9%
2010	82.03	124^th	839	85.2%
2011	82.73	130^th	891	85.4%
2012	84.10	116^th	897	87.1%
2013	82.40	138^th	956	85.6%
2014	86.40	103^rd	999	89.7%
2016	88.67	87^th	997	91.3%
2017	84.57	143^rd	1031	86.1%
2018	86.00	132^nd	1035	87.2%
2019	83.64	156^th	1099	85.8%
2021	82.81	154^th	1136	86.4%
2022	80.83	194^th	1148	83.1%
2023	79.07	208^th	1177	82.3%
2024	79.79	204^th	1196	82.9%

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

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Enrollment information for Thomas L Sims Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	497	8	5	6	9	n/a	n/a	0	525
2000	818	18	7	11	11	n/a	n/a	0	865
2001	863	16	10	13	13	n/a	n/a	0	915
2002	836	13	14	11	8	n/a	n/a	0	882
2003	836	13	14	11	8	n/a	n/a	0	882
2004	838	12	14	11	4	n/a	n/a	0	879
2005	875	14	12	16	3	n/a	n/a	0	920
2006	876	10	8	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	914
2007	839	8	14	12	6	n/a	n/a	15	894
2008	810	10	12	11	6	n/a	n/a	21	870
2009	787	9	15	9	5	n/a	n/a	24	849
2010	775	7	10	10	7	n/a	n/a	21	830
2011	743	11	11	27	3	0	41	0	836
2012	771	10	15	33	4	0	42	0	875
2013	749	19	16	35	3	1	50	0	873
2014	771	21	16	35	1	1	41	0	886
2015	763	24	15	41	2	2	40	0	887
2016	814	21	12	40	3	0	42	0	932
2017	832	31	13	38	4	3	46	0	967
2018	864	33	10	50	4	4	48	0	1013
2019	876	36	21	62	2	4	61	0	1062
2020	921	34	21	73	9	4	83	0	1145
2021	802	24	15	79	4	4	76	0	1004
2022	879	32	16	86	7	5	81	0	1106
2023	862	31	23	88	3	6	85	0	1098
2024	644	28	18	83	2	7	68	0	850

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 Thomas L Sims Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	525	25.0	21.0	23.6
2000	865	39.0	22.2	23
2001	915	44.0	20.8	24.3
2002	882	42.0	21.0	20.9
2003	882	42.0	21.0	20.9
2004	879	42.0	20.9	18.3
2005	920	46.0	20.0	22.7
2006	914	49.0	18.7	23.4
2007	894	50.0	17.9	22.3
2008	870	51.5	16.9	23.4
2009	849	52.1	17.5	26.7
2010	830	43.5	19.0	27.2
2011	836	43.9	19.0	33.7
2012	875	41.5	21.0	30.3
2013	873	49.0	17.8	33.1
2014	886	47.0	18.8	31.6
2015	887	52.0	17.0	29.5
2016	932	51.0	18.2	31
2017	967	52.0	18.5	31.9
2018	1013	53.0	19.1	30.9
2019	1062	46.4	22.8	31.1
2020	1145	48.3	23.6	31.5
2021	1004	50.1	20.0	26.1
2022	1106	49.0	22.5	35
2023	1098	50.0	21.9	34.2
2024	850	40.0	21.2	42.8

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 Thomas L Sims Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	525	25.0	21.0	23.6
2000	865	39.0	22.2	23
2001	915	44.0	20.8	24.3
2002	882	42.0	21.0	20.9
2003	882	42.0	21.0	20.9
2004	879	42.0	20.9	18.3
2005	920	46.0	20.0	22.7
2006	914	49.0	18.7	23.4
2007	894	50.0	17.9	22.3
2008	870	51.5	16.9	23.4
2009	849	52.1	17.5	26.7
2010	830	43.5	19.0	27.2
2011	836	43.9	19.0	33.7
2012	875	41.5	21.0	30.3
2013	873	49.0	17.8	33.1
2014	886	47.0	18.8	31.6
2015	887	52.0	17.0	29.5
2016	932	51.0	18.2	31
2017	967	52.0	18.5	31.9
2018	1013	53.0	19.1	30.9
2019	1062	46.4	22.8	31.1
2020	1145	48.3	23.6	31.5
2021	1004	50.1	20.0	26.1
2022	1106	49.0	22.5	35
2023	1098	50.0	21.9	34.2
2024	850	40.0	21.2	42.8

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 Thomas L Sims Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$104 (1.8%)	$5,813 (98.2%)	$5,917
2019	$68 (1.1%)	$5,913 (98.9%)	$5,981
2020	$58 (1.0%)	$5,539 (99.0%)	$5,597
2021	$353 (5.7%)	$5,822 (94.3%)	$6,175
2022	$438 (7.0%)	$5,802 (93.0%)	$6,240
2023	$399 (6.0%)	$6,295 (94.0%)	$6,695

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas L Sims 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 156^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 208^th of 1177 Middle schools	3.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	67	67
6th Grade English Language Arts (Santa Rosa)	63	61	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	73	66	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Santa Rosa)	66	60	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	71	62	9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Santa Rosa)	59	55	4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	67	52	15%
7th Grade Mathematics (Santa Rosa)	54	50	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	77	65	12%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Santa Rosa)	68	57	11%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	92	88	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Santa Rosa)	76	72	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	70	71	1%
8th Grade Science (Santa Rosa)	62	58	4%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	86	75	11%
End of Course Civics (Santa Rosa)	75	71	4%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	99	95	4%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Santa Rosa)	73	60	13%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Thomas L Sims Middle School)	100	100
End of Course Geometry (Santa Rosa)	66	63	3%
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	1062	1098	3.4%
African American	36	31	13.9%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	21	23	9.5%
Hispanic	62	88	41.9%
Pacific Islander	4	6	50%
White	876	862	1.6%
Two or More Races	61	85	39.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.1%	34.2%	3.1%

Schools Near Thomas L Sims 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 Biology 1 (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 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	850	40	21.2	42.8%	644 (75.8%)	28 (3.3%)	83 (9.8%)	18 (2.1%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.8%)	68 (8.0%)	79.8	204^th of 1196 public middle schools	82.9%		79.1	208^th of 1177 public middle schools	82.3%	4	72.0	59.0	69.0	69.0	66.0	88.0	64.0	93.0	100.0		73.0	$6,695	$399	$6,295
Hobbs Middle School	Public	6-8	5317 Glover Ln	Milton	32570	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	No	(850) 983-5630	724	33	22.1	62.2%	524 (72.4%)	61 (8.4%)	53 (7.3%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	6 (0.8%)	73 (10.1%)	48.4	614^th of 1196 public middle schools	48.7%		43.4	657^th of 1177 public middle schools	44.2%	43	56.0	44.0	50.0	55.0	30.0	56.0	47.0	97.0	100.0		63.0	$7,674	$809	$6,865
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	37	20.7	53.6%	552 (71.9%)	56 (7.3%)	67 (8.7%)	18 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (9.5%)	48.9	611^th of 1196 public middle schools	48.9%		60.6	429^th of 1177 public middle schools	63.6%	182	51.0	48.0	43.0	54.0	51.0	58.0	45.0	100.0	93.0		78.0	$7,144	$406	$6,737
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	681	34	20.0	69.8%	482 (70.8%)	52 (7.6%)	38 (5.6%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	95 (14.0%)	35	794^th of 1196 public middle schools	33.6%		36	755^th of 1177 public middle schools	35.9%	39	46.0	41.0	38.0	37.0	31.0	55.0	40.0	96.0			50.0	$9,179	$820	$8,360
Ferry Pass Middle School	Public	6-8	8355 Yancey Ave	Pensacola	32514	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 494-5650	959	46	20.8	63.0%	350 (36.5%)	383 (39.9%)	110 (11.5%)	40 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	71 (7.4%)	36.2	775^th of 1196 public middle schools	35.2%		31.4	824^th of 1177 public middle schools	30.0%	49	44.0	40.0	38.0	50.0	26.0	54.0	38.0	85.0			71.0	$8,740	$1,638	$7,103
J. H. Workman Middle School	Public	6-8	6299 Lanier Dr	Pensacola	32504	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 494-5665	666	29	22.9	70.7%	118 (17.7%)	378 (56.8%)	124 (18.6%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (5.6%)	24.6	932^nd of 1196 public middle schools	22.1%		21.8	953^rd of 1177 public middle schools	19.0%	21	31.0	30.0	44.0	31.0	27.0	41.0	32.0	84.0		75.0	47.0	$10,827	$2,616	$8,213
Ransom Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 W Kingsfield Rd	Cantonment	32533	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	No	(850) 937-2220	1,198	46	26.0	49.6%	805 (67.2%)	227 (18.9%)	80 (6.7%)	16 (1.3%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	63 (5.3%)	55.2	511^th of 1196 public middle schools	57.3%		59.1	444^th of 1177 public middle schools	62.3%	67	53.0	46.0	51.0	56.0	38.0	60.0	63.0	69.0			64.0	$8,603	$1,223	$7,380
Brown Barge Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	201 Hancock Ln	Pensacola	32503	Escambia County	Escambia	No	Yes	No	No	(850) 494-5640	549	22	24.9	36.6%	306 (55.7%)	86 (15.7%)	51 (9.3%)	34 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.7%)	66 (12.0%)	88.6	98^th of 1196 public middle schools	91.8%		84.6	146^th of 1177 public middle schools	87.6%	48	85.0	78.0	76.0	86.0	47.0	83.0	62.0	92.0	95.0		74.0	$8,183	$827	$7,356
Bellview Middle School	Public	6-8	6201 Mobile Hwy	Pensacola	32526	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 777-5800	816	41	19.9	68.8%	171 (21.0%)	419 (51.3%)	131 (16.1%)	20 (2.5%)	3 (0.4%)	7 (0.9%)	65 (8.0%)	9.8	1109^th of 1196 public middle schools	7.3%		8.8	1094^th of 1177 public middle schools	7.1%	15	29.0	18.0	29.0	14.0	19.0	23.0	14.0	90.0		72.0	28.0	$8,419	$2,210	$6,209
Beulah Academy Of Science	Public, Charter	6-8	8633 Beulah Rd	Pensacola	32526	Escambia County	Escambia	Yes	No	No	No	(850) 944-2822	305	20	15.2	34.8%	222 (72.8%)	18 (5.9%)	24 (7.9%)	14 (4.6%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.5%)	65.3	381^st of 1196 public middle schools	68.1%		53.7	512^th of 1177 public middle schools	56.5%	131	72.0	54.0	56.0	69.0	51.0	57.0		79.0		66.0	88.0	$9,548	$00	$9,548

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas L Sims Middle School

How many students attend Thomas L Sims Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 850 students attended Thomas L Sims Middle School.

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

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

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

What district is Thomas L Sims Middle School in?

Santa Rosa

Is Thomas L Sims Middle School a good school?

Thomas L Sims Middle School ranks 204^th of 1196 Florida middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 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.