SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL

SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL is a low-enrollment middle-grades school in DELAND, Florida, part of VOLUSIA. The school caters to 664 students in grades 6 through 8.

VOLUSIA runs 87 schools in total, collectively educating 61,765 students. SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL lists that 45% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest looks like 26% Hispanic, 21% Black, 4% multiracial, 3% Asian. By comparison, Volusia County as a whole is about 71% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL has 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 20.8:1. The state averages around 19.6:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 61% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Volusia County (around 53%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 50.4%; this one delivers 56.6%.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Volusia County) records that the typical household earns roughly $70,044 per year, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of 90 public schools in Volusia County (combined enrollment of about 61,765 students).

Nearest neighbor: EDITH I. STARKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, around 0.6 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL. On composite proficiency, SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL comes 3rd of 7 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 49.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at SOUTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL has shrank 10%, going from 740 students in 2018 to 664 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share ticked up from 21% to 26%. Class-load math has loosened: from 15.7:1 in 2018 to 20.8:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.