An outgoing Marion County School Board member is pointing to chronic student absenteeism as the primary culprit behind the district’s recent “C” grade and historically low educational rankings, insisting that “even great teachers can’t teach an empty seat.”
Nancy Thrower, who will vacate her District 4 seat this November, recently issued a lengthy statement through social media addressing the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school and district grades. Thrower, who regularly posts statements on her social channels, expressed her frustration after the district earned exactly 59% of its total possible points, narrowly missing the 60% cutoff for a “B” grade due to new, higher state thresholds.
“It is very disappointing and frustrating to miss anything by 1 point! Even if our Marion County Public Schools had maintained a B grade overall again this year by 1 point this still wouldn’t qualify for big bragging rights in my opinion,” Thrower stated. “I’ll save that for when we achieve legitimate A – District status.”
According to Thrower, the path to that top-tier status requires parents and students to do their part.
“In the meantime, there is one gigantic but simple solution. Reduce the excuses, come to school on time every day and do your best,” Thrower urged. “Numbers don’t lie and great people are working too hard for this overall mediocrity to continue.”
To illustrate her point, Thrower suggested there was a correlation between attendance and academic success across Marion County. She noted that schools with the lowest chronic absenteeism rates, such as Madison Street Academy (4%), Ina A. Colen Academy (7%), and Dr. N.H. Jones Elementary (10%), consistently earn “A” grades. Conversely, schools with high absenteeism face tougher academic hurdles.
Thrower also pointed to Fort King Middle School, which struggles with a 37% chronic absenteeism rate and received a “C” grade.
“Get chronic absenteeism below 20% overall as the District average, maintain high quality instruction, and we will have an overall A District,” Thrower asserted.
Thrower’s comments come on the heels of a sobering grading cycle for Marion County.
The district was one of the few that received a “C” grade, ranking 58th out of Florida’s 67 counties. While district officials touted a 46% increase in “A” and “B” school grades, the localized data paints a bleaker picture relative to the rest of the state.
Out of the 53 Marion County schools measured, 42 scored below the state’s average and median in the percentage of total points possible.
The local public school struggles reflect broader, multi-year educational challenges for the region.
An annual report by WalletHub that evaluates the 150 most-populated U.S. metropolitan areas ranked the Ocala area at 139th overall for educational attainment and quality. Ocala was the lowest-ranked Florida metro area on the list, scoring particularly poorly in the percentage of residents with bachelor’s degrees or higher and the overall quality of its public school system.
The 2025 report by WalletHub showed similar results.
As the county grapples with its ongoing academic hurdles, this year will see at least one leadership change on the Marion County School Board.
Thrower’s departure leaves her District 4 seat up for grabs in the upcoming election. Currently, there are four individuals vying for the position: Jeff Brewer, Mike Mills, Brigitte Smith, and Buddy Wyckoff.
What are your thoughts on Marion County’s district and school grades, or on the overall state of education in the area? Share them in a comment below or, if you have more to say on the topic, write a letter to the editor.