The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mt. Dora Middle School
Mt. Dora Middle School sits on Lincoln Avenue in Mount Dora, a small Central Florida city about half an hour northwest of Orlando, serving grades six through eight as a regular public school within Lake County Schools. The enrollment is large enough to support three roughly equal grade-level cohorts, and the student body is genuinely mixed: white students make up the largest single group, followed by Hispanic students, then Black students, with smaller populations identifying as two or more races, Asian, and other groups. Close to half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects a broad economic range. Data on English learners and students receiving special education services were not available in the materials reviewed.
On state assessments, the picture is uneven and worth examining carefully. The FAST Math and FAST ELA results are reported by grade level, and the pattern is not uniform. Sixth grade shows majority proficiency in both math and ELA. Eighth grade math proficiency is similar to sixth grade, a relatively stronger showing. Eighth grade ELA and science land noticeably lower than those math numbers. Seventh grade is the softer point in the data: math proficiency drops sharply compared to sixth and eighth grade, and ELA in seventh grade is the lowest reported figure across any tested subject or grade at this school. That seventh-grade dip is pronounced enough that a parent might want to ask the school directly about how students are supported through that year. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to characterize whether these numbers represent improvement or decline.
A comparison against other Lake County district schools on a proficiency index was not computed because the county contains only a single district, so no meaningful peer ranking is produced. The data stands on its own terms.
The Lake County Schools district has been moving on several fronts that families weigh. Voters approved a dedicated school safety property tax renewal in 2022, keeping in place school safety officers, nurses, and mental health staff including psychologists, social workers, and counselors. That funding base is now at the center of a larger conversation: publicly reported, county commissioners voted to place an additional millage measure on the November 2026 ballot that would add teacher pay and recruitment funding on top of the existing safety levy, with any increase taking effect in mid-2027 if approved. The district has also been opening new schools to keep pace with growth in parts of the county, though that expansion has been concentrated in southern Lake County rather than in Mount Dora itself. A Florida statewide cell-phone ban, in effect since the 2024-25 school year, applies here as at all public schools in the state, barring phone use during instructional time.
Mount Dora itself is a city with a distinct character. The historic downtown is compact and walkable, with tree-lined streets, galleries, cafes, and a lakeside park that make the physical setting unusual for Central Florida. Publicly reported sources consistently describe it as one of the more pedestrian-friendly small towns in the state. The school campus, like most in the area, sits on a separated suburban site rather than within that downtown grid. Housing in the area runs from historic bungalows near the core to newer subdivisions and active-adult communities on the edges. Home values here sit above the statewide median and roughly in line with national figures, with only modest recent movement, though the city is in an active growth phase with multiple new residential developments advancing on the outskirts, some of which have drawn community concern about density and traffic.
Programs data for Mt. Dora Middle School was not available in the materials provided, so the range of electives, extracurriculars, or enrichment offerings is not something this account can speak to. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were also absent. A family considering this school would be well served by a direct conversation with the school about seventh-grade academic support structures and what the program schedule looks like day to day.
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