The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Murray Middle School
Murray Middle School sits on SE Murray Street in Stuart, the county seat of Martin County and the largest city in a small coastal Florida county. Stuart reads as old-Florida coastal: a compact, walkable historic downtown along the St. Lucie River, boutique shops and restaurants on a handful of streets, a Riverwalk boardwalk where families gather on Sunday afternoons, and residential neighborhoods spreading outward from that core. The school itself is on a standalone campus away from downtown, as publicly reported is typical for the district's schools. Major employers in the area include Cleveland Clinic, the Martin County School District, county and municipal government, and the marine industry, giving the local economy a healthcare-and-public-sector character with a strong small-business presence.
The housing market here sits above the Florida state median and considerably above the national median, with home values having softened modestly over the past year while rents have edged upward. A substantial share of monthly income goes toward rent, placing the area on the less affordable end relative to national benchmarks. New development is arriving, including a mixed-use project on Kanner Highway that represents the first local use of Florida's Live Local Act, and growth from Northeastern migration is steady. A planned Brightline rail station in downtown Stuart, publicly reported as in the works near the Old Martin County Courthouse, would eventually connect the area to the broader South Florida corridor.
Murray is a mid-sized middle school serving sixth through eighth grade as a regular public school within the Martin County district. A large share of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the student body firmly in the economically disadvantaged category by typical middle school comparisons. The school is Hispanic-plurality and nearly equally split between Hispanic and white students, with Black students making up a meaningful share as well. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided.
On Florida's FAST assessments in the most recent school year, proficiency in ELA runs from about half of sixth graders to well under half by eighth grade, with a notable drop across the grade band. Math shows a similar pattern: above half in seventh grade, rising slightly from sixth, but then falling sharply in eighth grade to well below half. Eighth-grade science proficiency lands below half as well. Taken together, fewer than half of Murray's eighth graders are testing at proficient in any of the three subjects assessed at that grade. These results are below what many families hope to see, and a parent interested in understanding the trajectory of individual students, and what supports the school provides for students who are behind grade level, would be well served asking the school directly about intervention programs and how eighth graders are prepared for high school coursework.
The district context matters here. Martin County Schools publicly reported earning its first top state accountability rating in several years for the 2024-2025 school year, with all district-operated schools reaching at least a mid-tier grade. The district also passed two successive half-mill property tax referenda supporting teacher pay, school safety, mental health resources, and academic programs, and an earlier voter-approved sales tax funded capital improvements including school replacements across the county. These are indicators of a community that has backed its public schools with direct funding, and the money flows to services families use: counselors, safety personnel, and retention of teachers.
Trend data for Murray specifically was not available, so it is not possible to say from the data provided whether performance has been improving, holding steady, or declining. Program information for the school was also not in what was provided. Those gaps are worth closing with the school or the district before drawing conclusions about what the experience of a student there looks like day to day.
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