Despite a statewide trend of high educational performance, the Marion County school district was one of the few in Florida to receive a “C” grade for 2026, ranking near the very bottom of the state across nearly all metrics.
The Florida Department of Education released its 2026 school district grades this week, giving Marion County a “C” grade for the 2025-26 academic year.
While the vast majority of school districts across the state celebrated “A” and “B” designations, Marion County was one of only 10 districts to receive a “C” grade. The grade and associated performance ranks the county 58th out of Florida’s 67 school districts.
The drop comes after the district managed to earn a “B” grade in 2025, though it still ranked 57th out of 67 districts that year.
According to the grading guidelines established by the Florida Department of Education, district grades are calculated as if all students in the district are enrolled in one large combination school.
The grades are determined by the percentage of total possible points earned across multiple components, including achievement and learning gains in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, as well as graduation rates and acceleration success.
For the 2025-26 school year, a “C” grade for a district required earning between 45% and 59% of the total possible points.
Across the board, Marion County’s metrics were noticeably worse relative to the rest of the state. The district earned exactly 59% (711) of its total possible points, narrowly missing the cutoff for a “B” grade by a single percentage point. In comparison, nearby Citrus County earned a “B” grade with 714 possible points.
Of note, Marion County scored particularly low in Grade 3 English Language Arts Achievement, where only 47% of students passed compared to the state average of 60.6%.
The district also struggled heavily in Mathematics Learning Gains for its lowest-performing students, hitting just 48% while the state average was 51.4%. By comparison, the state average for total points earned across all districts was 64.8%, highlighting a stark achievement gap between Marion County and the rest of the state.
Here is a breakdown of how Marion County performed across all graded components relative to the state averages:
| Grading Component | Marion County Score | State Average |
| Grade 3 English Language Arts Achievement | 47% | 60.6% |
| English Language Arts Achievement | 53% | 59.6% |
| English Language Arts Learning Gains | 57% | 59.2% |
| English Language Arts Learning Gains of the Lowest 25% | 53% | 55.1% |
| Mathematics Achievement | 51% | 60.6% |
| Mathematics Learning Gains | 54% | 57.6% |
| Mathematics Learning Gains of the Lowest 25% | 48% | 51.4% |
| Science Achievement | 55% | 60.6% |
| Social Studies Achievement | 69% | 74.3% |
| Middle School Acceleration | 75% | 75.7% |
| Graduation Rate | 85% | 91.1% |
| College and Career Acceleration | 64% | 70.7% |
Comparatively, Marion County’s low rank was among several other counties with much smaller populations, including Hamilton County (~14,000), Bradford County (~27,000), and Franklin County (~12,000), among many others. The most recent estimate suggests that Marion County now has over 425,000 residents.
The local school district’s 2026 results fall in line with previous years, when the county has consistently ranked among the worst in the state for test scores and school grades.
At the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, local school officials formalized a longstanding grading practice that gives all middle and high school students who failed their first semester a bump to at least 55%, affording any students who “score poorly” for various reasons a chance to redeem their academic standing in yearlong classes.
In District 3, incumbent Eric R. Cummings is being challenged by Steve Swett. In District 4, Jeff Brewer, Mike Mills, Brigitte Smith, and Buddy Wyckoff are all looking to take over a seat being vacated by Nancy Thrower.
Finally, in District 5, Sarah James is looking to retain her seat over challengers Donald “Donny” Barber and Ualthan Bigby. In that race, James has dramatically out-fundraised ($39,850) her opponents, who have cumulatively generated under $11,000 in campaign donations.
What are your thoughts on the Marion County School District’s performance for the 2025-2026 school year? Share them in a comment below or, if you have more to say on the matter, write a letter to the editor.