FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Set in GAINESVILLE, Florida, FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL is a moderately sized middle-grades school, part of ALACHUA. It teaches 840 students across grades 6 through 8.

Across the 60 schools in ALACHUA (28,255 students total), FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL shows that 40% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 31% Black, 16% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, 5% Asian. By comparison, Alachua County as a whole is about 61% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL shows 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 20.0:1. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 51% of students at FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 55.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 55.7%.

Across the wider county, census data for Alachua County shows median household earnings sit near $61,949, 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Alachua County runs 68 public schools (combined enrollment of about 29,618 students), of which FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is HIDDEN OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 0.1 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL at 8th of 8; the average score across the group is 67.1%.

The school occupies an outer-ring site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at FORT CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL has ticked down 16%, going from 1,004 students in 2018 to 840 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 46% to 40% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 18.3:1 in 2018 to 20.0:1 today.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.