The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Dan Mccarty Middle School
Dan McCarty Middle School sits on Mississippi Avenue in Fort Pierce, the county seat of St. Lucie County. It serves sixth through eighth grade as a regular public school within the St. Lucie district, drawing from a community whose everyday character is shaped by a working waterfront, an Old Florida fishing-village heritage, and a historic downtown that is actively working through a major redevelopment cycle.
The school enrolls a mid-sized population for its grade band, and the student body reflects the demographics of its surrounding neighborhoods. Black and Hispanic students together make up a strong majority of enrollment, white students a modest share, and a substantial share of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that economic need is prevalent here. Data on English learners and students with IEPs were not available in what was provided, so families whose children fall into those categories would want to ask the school directly about support structures.
On Florida's FAST assessments, the academic picture is uneven. Sixth-grade math results are reasonably solid, and eighth-grade math comes in at a similar level, which is a relative bright spot. Seventh-grade math, by contrast, sits considerably lower, and parents may want to ask what drives that gap within the same school. ELA proficiency across all three grades runs below the math figures for sixth and eighth, with fewer than half of students at each grade reaching proficiency; eighth-grade ELA is the lowest of the group. Eighth-grade science, assessed through Florida's Statewide Science Assessment, lands in a range that leaves most tested students below the proficiency threshold. These results represent the most recent reported year. Because the comparison set for St. Lucie County contains only one district, a meaningful peer ranking was not possible, so the numbers should be read against the state as a whole rather than against neighboring districts.
No program offerings data was provided, so information on electives, enrichment tracks, extracurriculars, or any specialized pathways at Dan McCarty was not available. Families considering the school should ask directly what the course and activity menu looks like across the middle grades.
The broader district context is relevant for families. St. Lucie Public Schools has been growing rapidly, and voters have backed both an operating property tax and a capital sales tax to fund teacher pay, school resource officers, mental-health services, and new construction. The district opened its first new high school in nearly a generation in 2025, with another K-8 campus planned for 2026, primarily to address growth on the western Port St. Lucie side of the county. Dan McCarty serves the Fort Pierce side, where the growth pressures differ, but the district-level investments in staffing, safety, and mental health apply countywide.
The Fort Pierce housing market around the school offers home values that are meaningfully below both the Florida statewide median and the national median, making it one of the more accessible price points on the Treasure Coast. Values have dipped modestly year over year. Rents in the zip code are also below broader benchmarks, though rent as a share of income still runs at a level that reflects real affordability pressure for lower-income households. The King's Landing waterfront redevelopment downtown, a large mixed-use project on a former power plant site now moving forward under a new developer with phases projected through 2029, is the most visible growth signal in Fort Pierce proper, though some longtime residents have raised concerns about whether new housing in that development will be within reach for existing community members.
Fort Pierce itself offers a walkable downtown waterfront, fare-free county bus transit on multiple routes, a library branch overlooking the Indian River Lagoon, and civic amenities that give the city a texture distinct from the newer suburban sprawl of Port St. Lucie. For families weighing this school, the honest read is that academic proficiency results are below where many families would want them, particularly in ELA and seventh-grade math, and those are areas worth probing with school staff. The community around the school is economically stretched. Whether this is the right fit depends on what a family needs and what the school can show them in terms of supports, programs, and the specific trajectory of students who start there.
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