The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Math. The lowest is 57% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ward-highlands Elementary School
Ward-Highlands Elementary sits on the southeast side of Ocala, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in Marion County Public Schools. The enrollment is large for an elementary school, spread fairly evenly across grade levels from kindergarten through fifth grade, with a small prekindergarten cohort as well.
The student body is majority white, with Hispanic students making up roughly a quarter of enrollment and Black students accounting for a meaningful share. Students of two or more races are also present in noticeable numbers. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects a moderately high economic need picture. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.
On Florida's FAST assessments, the most recent results show math proficiency running ahead of reading at every tested grade. Third and fourth graders score in the upper-mid range in math, while fifth graders come in somewhat lower. Reading tells a different story: third grade ELA proficiency is in the mid-to-upper range, but fourth and fifth grade results trail off, with fifth grade landing below the majority of test-takers statewide. Fifth grade science, tested through Florida's Statewide Science Assessment, falls just over half proficient. The reading and science results in the upper elementary grades are worth a closer conversation with the school about how they are supporting students who are not yet at grade level, particularly the trend that appears to weaken as students move toward the end of elementary school. Trend data across years was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these figures are improving, stable, or declining.
No programs data was provided, so information about enrichment, intervention, gifted services, or extracurricular offerings was not available for this profile.
Ward-Highlands sits in a city that is growing at a nationally unusual pace. Publicly reported Census data describes the Ocala metro as among the fastest-growing in the country, and Marion County Public Schools has seen enrollment rise sharply as a result. In response, voters approved a half-cent sales tax in late 2024 dedicated to school construction, expansion, and maintenance, which will fund several new schools and additional wings at existing facilities over the coming years. The district also carries a renewed one-mill property tax, extended through mid-2027, which funds school safety, teacher and staff retention, class-size compliance, and programs including art, music, physical education, and vocational education. For a family buying a home near the school, both of those levies appear in the tax picture. A homeowner's property tax bill and the combined county sales tax rate both reflect these decisions, and those funds directly connect to the staffing and programs students experience day to day.
Housing near the school, in the southeast Ocala zip code, is priced below the Florida statewide median and roughly in line with the national median, with values edging slightly downward year-over-year. Rents are also modestly below the statewide benchmark and have dipped slightly as well. The rent-to-income ratio sits in an affordable range relative to national norms, and the gap between renting and buying is relatively narrow compared to many markets, which may appeal to families weighing both options.
Ocala itself has a walkable historic downtown square anchored by the Marion County Courthouse, with a farmers market, weekend live music, and an arts walk. Outside that core the city is largely car-dependent, built around commercial corridors and highway development. Major employers span healthcare, defense manufacturing, logistics distribution, education, and the equestrian economy centered on the World Equestrian Center. That mix gives the area a broad economic base, though the pace of growth is also putting real pressure on schools, roads, and services.
The comparison data for this school could not be meaningfully positioned against other county schools because Marion County has only one district, making peer comparisons within the county set unavailable.
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