The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Math. The lowest is 47% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maplewood Elementary School
Maplewood Elementary sits on the southeast side of Ocala, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Marion County district. The enrollment is substantial for an elementary school, spread across all grade levels with meaningful representation in each, and the student body reflects Ocala's demographic mix: roughly half white, with Hispanic and Black students each making up meaningful shares, and smaller groups of Asian and multiracial students. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a setting where economic diversity is real and present. Data on English learner rates and special education enrollment were not available in the records reviewed.
On state assessments, Maplewood's results from the most recent FAST testing are mixed, and parents would benefit from looking at them grade by grade rather than as a single verdict. In math, the school shows genuine strength in the middle elementary years, where fourth-grade proficiency is meaningfully above where third and fifth grade land. Third and fifth-grade math results are more moderate, with roughly three in five students reaching proficiency. ELA follows a similar arc: third grade is the lowest point, with only about half of students testing proficient, while fourth and fifth grade show more students meeting the mark, though none of the ELA grades reach what one would call a strong majority. The fifth-grade science assessment tells a harder story, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency. That science result is worth a direct conversation with the school about what supports are in place for upper-elementary science instruction. Trend data across years was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability.
No program listings were provided for Maplewood, so specialty pathways, enrichment offerings, or structured intervention programs cannot be described here. A parent interested in gifted services, arts integration, or specific academic supports should ask the school directly. Graduation rate and AP coursework metrics do not apply, as the school ends at fifth grade.
The surrounding community is Ocala, a city that has been growing at a pace publicly reported as among the fastest of any metro area in the country. The city's identity is genuinely layered: a walkable historic downtown square with a farmers market, live music, and local restaurants sits alongside car-oriented commercial corridors and a robust manufacturing and logistics economy anchored by employers like Lockheed Martin, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, AdventHealth, and a cluster of major distribution centers. The World Equestrian Center has grown into a significant regional employer and attraction. For families thinking about roots and the housing market, home values in the zip code are currently below the Florida state average and modestly below national benchmarks, and have edged slightly downward year over year. Rents have also dipped slightly. Monthly mortgage costs on a typical purchase are, by current rates, roughly in line with what many in the area spend on rent, making ownership accessible relative to much of the state, though buyers should weigh current mortgage rates carefully.
Two publicly reported local votes shape what the Marion County district can offer Maplewood families in the coming years. In late 2022, voters renewed a one-mill property tax that funds school safety, teacher retention, art, music, physical education, library, and vocational programming through mid-2027. That tax directly affects what staffing and programs schools can sustain. Then in November 2024, voters approved a new half-cent sales tax dedicated to school construction and renovation for a multi-year span, with the district planning several new schools and additional wings to handle enrollment growth. For a school sitting inside one of the nation's fastest-growing counties, that capital investment is relevant: schools in rapidly growing districts can face crowding and deferred maintenance, and the approved funding is intended to address those pressures over time.
Because Marion County is the sole district in the county-level comparison set, proficiency benchmarking against peer districts was not possible with the available data.
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