The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Math. The lowest is 47% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Buddy Taylor Middle School
Buddy Taylor Middle School sits on Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast, serving sixth through eighth graders in Flagler County's only public school district. It is a conventional public middle school, not a charter or magnet, and draws from a city that reads as almost entirely suburban in character. Palm Coast was designed from scratch as a master-planned community in the early 1970s and only later incorporated as a city; it is organized into named neighborhood sections, threaded with canals and trails, and built around low-density single-family homes rather than a traditional downtown core. Health care is publicly reported as the county's leading employment sector, with a major hospital network anchoring that picture, and the city is in an active growth phase with large residential and commercial developments approved for areas to the west.
The school's enrollment sits firmly in the mid-range for a three-grade middle school. A majority of students are white, with Hispanic and Black students making up the next largest groups, and smaller shares identifying as two or more races or as Asian. Roughly half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places economic diversity squarely in the picture. IEP and English learner rates were not available in the data reviewed here, so families with those specific needs may want to ask the school directly.
On Florida's FAST assessments, math proficiency in eighth grade is meaningfully stronger than in sixth or seventh grade, where results sit closer to the midpoint or below it statewide. ELA proficiency is broadly similar across all three grades, hovering in the mid-range, though eighth grade reads as the softer spot in that subject. Eighth-grade science, assessed through Florida's Statewide Science Assessment, comes in just under half of students scoring proficient. Taken together, this is a school where the majority of students are not yet meeting proficiency standards in most subjects and grades tested, a fact worth sitting with. Because Flagler County has only one district, a meaningful comparison against peer districts within the county is not possible, so the data here is best read against the statewide benchmark rather than a local peer group.
One concrete, recent change in daily school life is worth noting. Under Florida's cellphone law effective July 1, 2025, Buddy Taylor and the district's other middle school moved to a full-day, off-device requirement. Flagler Schools publicly reported a substantial drop in discipline referrals related to devices year over year, suggesting the policy is being enforced consistently. Families should be aware that direct communication with students during school hours will need to go through the front office rather than a personal device.
The housing market surrounding the school runs modestly below the Florida statewide median home value and has seen a slight softening year over year. Rents in the area represent a manageable share of income relative to national norms, and rent is meaningfully lower than a comparable mortgage payment, which may matter for families still deciding whether to buy. Palm Coast's extensive trail and path network, including the paved Lehigh Trail corridor, gives the area a distinctive recreational identity that many suburban communities lack, even if everyday walkability outside Town Center is limited and transit options are sparse.
Program information for Buddy Taylor was not available in the data reviewed, and multi-year academic trend data was also absent, so whether the school's results are moving in a particular direction cannot be determined here. Families who want to understand the school's academic support systems, electives, extracurriculars, or intervention programs would need to reach out to the school or the Flagler district directly.
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