C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL

C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL, an average-sized middle school in NICEVILLE, Florida, one of the schools within OKALOOSA, enrolls 1,061 students, covering grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 794 students per school, that is 34% bigger than typical.

OKALOOSA comprises 49 schools with combined enrollment of 32,120 students; C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL is among them.

On the student-mix side, C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL shows that White students make up the majority at 78%. The remainder comes out to 11% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, 2% Black.

On the income-and-resources front, C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL records 53 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 20.1:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 25% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is below Okaloosa County's rate of about 50%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 68.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 80.6%.

Around the school, Okaloosa County reports that median household earnings sit near $81,998, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. In all, Okaloosa County runs 51 public schools (combined enrollment of about 32,120 students), of which C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is NICEVILLE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL at 3rd of 9; the average score across the group is 77.6%.

The school occupies a suburban site.

Looking at the recent track record. C. W. RUCKEL MIDDLE SCHOOL's enrollment has declined 6% since 2018, when it stood at 1,129 (now 1,061). Over the same period, the Hispanic share climbed from 6% to 11%. Class-load math has tightened: from 21.7:1 in 2018 to 20.1:1 in 2025.

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