Despite earning a “B” grade for the last school year, the Marion County School District’s student test scores and high school graduation rate were worse over the past school year than over the rest of the state, ranking the district among the lowest-performing in Florida.
On Monday, the Florida Department of Education released grades for all of the 67 districts, as well as hundreds of schools, across Florida for the 2024-2025 school year.
To earn a grade, each district is evaluated on a series of 12 components that include student gains and achievement in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, as well as graduation rate and middle school acceleration, among others.
This year, every district earned at least a “C” grade. The eight districts that received a “C” were Putnam, Desoto, Franklin, Madison, Okeechobee, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Gadsden.
Out a possible 1,200 total points, at least 52 counties scored 700 or more, with a highest score of 888 (Nassau County) this year.
Marion County scored 689 total points, just ranking it 57th out of Florida’s 67 counties. The ranking is similar to the 2023-2024 academic school year, despite being a letter grade different.
This year, Marion County schools earned 8 A’s, 10 B’s, 28 C’s, and 5 D’s. Last year, county schools earned two fewer A’s (6), as well as 10 B’s, 32 C’s, 2 D’s, and 1 F.
Ocala-News.com will release an additional report on individual school letter grades in the coming days.
Overall, Marion County lagged behind in almost every one of the 12 components measured for the school grades.
For instance, in English Language Arts Achievement, Marion County ranked 56th out of 67 counties. In gains, the county ranked 50th out of 67. In mathematics achievement, Marion County ranked 58th out of 67 counties. In gains, the county ranked 56th out of 67.
Similarly, in science achievement, Marion County ranked 56th out of 67 counties and in social studies achievement, the county ranked 52nd out of 67 counties.
Marion County’s graduation rate of 80 percent ranks it 61st out of 67 counties. According to the FLDOE, the graduation rate is based on an adjusted cohort of students, measuring whether they graduate within four years of entering the ninth grade.
Over the past week, Ocala-News.com has reported that Marion County Public Schools students had test scores that were consistently lower than the state average, and that Ocala was ranked as one of the least-educated cities in the country.
On Monday evening, the district released a statement highlighting the letter grade improvement. The district pointed to the fact that it “maintained scores in nine of the 12 district grade components,” citing improvements in social studies, middle school acceleration, and the fact that the district “has no failing schools.”
In fact, out of 3,474 schools across the state of Florida, only ten received “F” letter grades for the last school year. Additionally, there are 55 schools in the entire state that received “D” letter grades. Marion County was home to at least five of those schools, up from two “D” schools last year.
Departing Superintendent Dr. Diane Gullett, who announced in March that she would be leaving her position in Marion County to take over a different role in another state, said she was proud of district staff.
“I am incredibly proud of the unwavering commitment of our team to consistently and strategically provide opportunities for every one of our students to thrive,” said Gullett. “That is how we help every student succeed. The improvement in our district grade reflects these efforts and validates the hard work of our entire team.”