Can I use Marion County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Marion County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Marion County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Marion County?

Start with the 63 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Marion County Schools & Education

Name: Marion County, Florida Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Marion County, Florida

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

23/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,904

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,118

School Score

23/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 36/100

State Score Position

#58

of 67 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Marion County

Measured School Summary

Marion County faces educational challenges with a school score of 23/100 and a graduation rate of 87.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,904 per pupil, Marion County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 37% below the Florida average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Marion County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

63 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

23/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #58 of 67 Florida counties with school score data.

Completion

87.0%

2.8 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,904

$214 below the state average

School coverage

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Marion County has 63 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Marion County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

MARION carries most of the listed public-school system, with 63 of 63 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#58

of 67 Florida counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

MARION

Elementary to high school visible

44,493 students

Elementary 35Middle 10High 15Other 3

63 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

MARION is the largest listed district slice, with 63 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Marion County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Low composite school score highlights Marion County education data

Education data brief for Marion County, Florida.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Marion County reports a composite school score of 22.8, significantly lower than the Florida state average of 36.2 and the national median of 50.0. The county operates a single school district, Marion, which enrolls 44,493 students across 63 schools. The district features a balanced mix of 24 rural and 24 city locales, with West Port High School serving as the largest institution with 2,906 students. While the graduation rate of 87.0% aligns exactly with the national average, it remains below the state mark of 89.8%. Financial data shows per-pupil expenditure at $5,904, which is lower than the Florida average of $6,118 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. Charter schools represent a small portion of the system, accounting for 6.3% of the total schools. The district also operates eight alternative schools and two special education facilities. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Marion County

Reported Enrollment

44,493

63 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

6% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary35

Middle10

High15

Other3

1 School District in Marion County

MARION

Guide

63 schools

44,493 students enrolled

Open district guide

63 Public Schools in Marion County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 18 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 63 matching schools

Public schools in Marion County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
WEST PORT HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34481Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,906
FOREST HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34480Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	2,325
BELLEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	BELLEVIEW, 34420Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,783
VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34475City: Small	9–12	High	1,661
BELLEVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	BELLEVIEW, 34420Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,573
LAKE WEIR HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34472Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,483
LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34476Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,365
DUNNELLON HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	DUNNELLON, 34432Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,350
NORTH MARION HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	CITRA, 32113Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,303
LAKE WEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	SUMMERFIELD, 34491Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	1,207
FORT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34470City: Small	6–8	Middle	1,092
HORIZON ACADEMY AT MARION OAKS	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34473Town: Fringe	5–8	Middle	1,067
SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34473Town: Fringe	PK–4	Primary	1,017
OSCEOLA MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34471City: Small	6–8	Middle	999
HOWARD MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34475City: Small	6–8	Middle	980
FORT MCCOY SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	FORT MC COY, 32134Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	964
WARD-HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34471City: Small	PK–5	Primary	959
MARION OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Profile	MARION	OCALA, 34473Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	939
SADDLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MARION	OCALA, 34474Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	917
HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MARION	OCALA, 34476Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	867

WEST PORT HIGH SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34481 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,906 students

FOREST HIGH SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34480 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,325 students

BELLEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL

MARION

BELLEVIEW, 34420 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,783 students

VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34475 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,661 students

BELLEVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL

MARION

BELLEVIEW, 34420 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,573 students

LAKE WEIR HIGH SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34472 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,483 students

LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34476 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,365 students

DUNNELLON HIGH SCHOOL

MARION

DUNNELLON, 34432 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,350 students

NORTH MARION HIGH SCHOOL

MARION

CITRA, 32113 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,303 students

LAKE WEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL

MARION

SUMMERFIELD, 34491 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle1,207 students

FORT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34470 / City: Small

Profile6–8Middle1,092 students

HORIZON ACADEMY AT MARION OAKS

MARION

OCALA, 34473 / Town: Fringe

Profile5–8Middle1,067 students

SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34473 / Town: Fringe

ProfilePK–4Primary1,017 students

OSCEOLA MIDDLE SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34471 / City: Small

Profile6–8Middle999 students

HOWARD MIDDLE SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34475 / City: Small

Profile6–8Middle980 students

FORT MCCOY SCHOOL

MARION

FORT MC COY, 32134 / Rural: Distant

ProfilePK–8Primary964 students

WARD-HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34471 / City: Small

ProfilePK–5Primary959 students

MARION OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34473 / Town: Fringe

ProfilePK–5Primary939 students

SADDLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34474 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary917 students

HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MARION

OCALA, 34476 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary867 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,904

State avg $6,118

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Marion County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?

Lafayette County (97.0%), Columbia County (96.0%), and Seminole County (95.0%) currently lead Florida among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?

Across Florida counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,118. The highest current county values are Monroe County ($9,238), Jefferson County ($9,157), and Franklin County ($7,953). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Marion County?

Marion County has a school score of 23/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Marion County?

The high school graduation rate in Marion County is 87.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Marion County spend per student?

Marion County spends $5,904 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Citrus County

Florida

0 pts

23/100

School score

Escambia County

Florida

-0 pts

23/100

School score

Volusia County

Florida

-1 pts

22/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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