The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Abraham Lincoln Middle School
Abraham Lincoln Middle School sits in Gainesville's southeast quadrant, serving sixth through eighth graders as a regular public school within Alachua County Public Schools. It draws students from a genuinely diverse peer group: Black students make up roughly half the enrollment, white students a little over a fifth, Asian students a meaningful share, and multiracial and Hispanic students round out the population. About half of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves a cross-section of Gainesville's economic range. Data on English learners and students with IEPs were not available in this dataset, so parents with children in those groups may want to ask the school directly about support services.
On Florida's FAST assessments, the picture is uneven and worth looking at honestly. In reading and language arts, sixth and seventh graders perform reasonably well against statewide expectations, with majorities reaching proficiency at both grade levels. Eighth-grade ELA proficiency falls below that, with roughly half of students reaching the bar. Math tells a more complicated story. Sixth-grade math proficiency sits near the midpoint, seventh-grade math is notably stronger, but eighth-grade math proficiency is low, with only a small fraction of students scoring proficient. Eighth-grade science comes in just below half proficient. Placed against districts in Alachua County, Lincoln's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile of that comparison set, which contains only two districts, so this is a narrow reference group. Still, the gap is real and parents whose children are on a strong math track, or who are working toward one, may want to ask what differentiated or accelerated options the school offers and how it supports students who are behind.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether results here are improving, declining, or holding steady.
The school serves a city shaped by the University of Florida, which is the dominant employer in the region and gives Gainesville a college-town character despite being a city of meaningful size. Publicly reported information describes downtown Gainesville as walkable and densifying, with new residential construction moving forward both in the core and in suburban corridors, and the broader metro area on a growth trajectory. The surrounding housing market sits well below both the Florida state median and the national median home value, making Gainesville more accessible by price than most of the state. Rents in the ZIP code consume a moderate share of income by the typical national benchmark, suggesting relative affordability compared to major Florida metros.
For district context, Alachua County voters renewed a one-mill property tax in 2024 that runs through 2029. Publicly reported information indicates this levy, a renewal rather than a new tax, funds art, music, drama, band, counselors, school nurses, librarians, and career and technical programs across the district, paying all or part of the salaries of a large share of district teachers. Its continuation keeps intact the staffing and elective programs that otherwise would face cuts. No program-specific data was provided for Lincoln itself, so the payload does not say which of these are available at this campus, and that is worth confirming with the school.
Graduation rate is not applicable here because Lincoln serves only middle school grades. Course access, discipline, and attendance data were not available in this dataset.
For a family weighing this school, the ELA results in the middle grades are a relative strength, the eighth-grade math picture is a real soft spot, and the demographic mix is one of the more genuinely varied in the county. A parent focused on math preparation heading into high school would do well to ask the school directly about what supports and advanced pathways are in place.
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