The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Math. The lowest is 42% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Williston Middle High School
Williston Middle High School is the single public campus serving grades six through twelve in Williston, Florida, placing middle and high schoolers together on what is publicly described as a rural campus on the city's edge. It sits within the Levy County School District, a rural district headquartered in Bronson. The school is neither a charter nor a magnet, and it holds a mid-sized enrollment for a combined middle-high campus.
A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding community. The student body is predominantly white, with meaningful Hispanic and Black populations and smaller shares of other groups. Data on students with IEPs and English learners was not available in the records used here.
On Florida's FAST assessments, the picture varies considerably by grade and subject. Sixth-grade math proficiency is relatively strong, sitting well above the majority mark, and seventh-grade math is solid as well. Eighth-grade math, however, drops sharply, to a result that leaves most students below proficiency. That gap is worth asking the school about directly. ELA proficiency runs roughly in the middle range across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, with eighth-grade ELA falling just below half of students. Eighth-grade science comes in at a modest level, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency. No state testing data was reported for grades nine through twelve, which is typical since Florida's FAST program tests through grade ten in ELA and math and the data provided here covers grades six through eight; a parent seeking high school academic data would want to ask the school about end-of-course results and SAT or ACT participation. Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results have been improving or declining.
Program data was not provided in the records available, so AP course availability, dual enrollment, career and technical pathways, and extracurricular offerings are not characterized here. A parent with a high-schooler should ask the school directly about those pathways, since they matter considerably at a campus that houses grades six through twelve under one roof.
Williston itself is a small city and the largest in Levy County, with an agricultural identity, a modest downtown centered on Heritage Park along Main Street, and everyday commercial life anchored to the US 27/41 corridor. The town is known locally for the Central Florida Peanut Festival and for spring-fed dive sites like Blue Grotto and Devil's Den nearby. The economy mixes manufacturing, including the world headquarters of Monterey Boats, with agricultural businesses and public-sector employment. A portion of residents commute to Gainesville, which is publicly reported to be roughly twenty-plus miles away.
The housing market here is meaningfully more affordable than the Florida statewide median. Home values have been essentially flat year over year, slightly dipping, while the state market has also softened. Nationally, local prices sit below the national median. Publicly reported growth patterns show active new construction from national builders, with development concentrated in the Williston Highlands area, as affordability relative to Gainesville and Ocala draws new residents. The community overall has a sparse, owner-occupied, residential character.
One broader district note: in late 2024, the Levy County School Board decided to keep Cedar Key School, the district's small island K-12 campus, open rather than busing students to the mainland. That decision does not directly affect families in Williston but signals how the district handles small and geographically isolated campuses under pressure.
Because only one district exists in Levy County, the comparison framework used here does not produce a relative ranking against county peers; meaningful comparison would require looking at a broader Florida regional set, which the data here does not support.
The school is the only public option for middle and high school grades in Williston, so for families living in the city without access to transportation to neighboring districts, it is the default path. Families new to the area would benefit from visiting the campus, reviewing course offerings for the high school grades, and asking specific questions about eighth-grade math support and post-secondary preparation.
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