Marion County Schools & Education
Marion County, Florida
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool 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
63
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.
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
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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Marion County, Florida
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
A Vast Network Serving 44,000 Students
Marion County operates 63 public schools that support a total enrollment of 44,493 students. The infrastructure includes 35 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 15 high schools across a single district.
Meeting National Graduation Standards
The county's 87.0% graduation rate perfectly matches the national average, though it trails the Florida state average of 89.8%. Investment stands at $5,904 per pupil, which is slightly below the state average of $6,118.
One District with Growing Charter Options
The Marion School District manages the entire county, including four charter schools that represent 6.3% of all institutions. This centralized system provides a uniform curriculum across all 63 local schools.
A Mix of Rural and City Campuses
Marion County features an even split of 24 rural and 24 city schools, with an average size of 729 students. West Port High School is the largest campus with 2,906 students, while Belleview Middle serves 1,573.
School Overview
Total Schools
63
in Marion County
Reported Enrollment
44,493
63 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
4
6% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Marion County
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 dataLevel
Showing 20 of 63 matching schools
| 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
FOREST HIGH SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34480 / Suburb: Midsize
BELLEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
MARION
BELLEVIEW, 34420 / Rural: Fringe
VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34475 / City: Small
BELLEVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
MARION
BELLEVIEW, 34420 / Rural: Fringe
LAKE WEIR HIGH SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34472 / Rural: Fringe
LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34476 / Rural: Fringe
DUNNELLON HIGH SCHOOL
MARION
DUNNELLON, 34432 / Rural: Fringe
NORTH MARION HIGH SCHOOL
MARION
CITRA, 32113 / Rural: Fringe
LAKE WEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL
MARION
SUMMERFIELD, 34491 / Suburb: Midsize
FORT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34470 / City: Small
HORIZON ACADEMY AT MARION OAKS
MARION
OCALA, 34473 / Town: Fringe
SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34473 / Town: Fringe
OSCEOLA MIDDLE SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34471 / City: Small
HOWARD MIDDLE SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34475 / City: Small
FORT MCCOY SCHOOL
MARION
FORT MC COY, 32134 / Rural: Distant
WARD-HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34471 / City: Small
MARION OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MARION
OCALA, 34473 / Town: Fringe
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 CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?
How should I read the school score in Marion County?
What is the graduation rate in Marion County?
How much does Marion County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Marion County, Florida — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Marion County, Florida?
Marion County operates 63 public schools that support a total enrollment of 44,493 students. The infrastructure includes 35 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 15 high schools across a single district.
How do schools in Marion County perform academically?
The county's 87.0% graduation rate perfectly matches the national average, though it trails the Florida state average of 89.8%. Investment stands at $5,904 per pupil, which is slightly below the state average of $6,118.
What are the major school districts in Marion County, Florida?
The Marion School District manages the entire county, including four charter schools that represent 6.3% of all institutions. This centralized system provides a uniform curriculum across all 63 local schools.
What is the school experience like in Marion County?
Marion County features an even split of 24 rural and 24 city schools, with an average size of 729 students. West Port High School is the largest campus with 2,906 students, while Belleview Middle serves 1,573.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.