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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,009
Middle
DISTRICT 972 · STATE 794
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LEE·NCES 120108003967
VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL
801 GUNNERY RD N, LEHIGH ACRES, FL 33971 · (239) 694-3464 · Lee County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,009 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 13% of Florida public middle schools
- C-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Florida public middle schools
Student : Teacher
22.0:1
46 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 19.9:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
54%
540 students
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 50%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 269 | 27% |
| Grade 7 | 352 | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 388 | 38% |
Student demographics
54%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 63% · STATE 70% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or AboveEnglish Language Arts
38.4%
FL avg 56.7% . +2.4pp since 2023
Math
47.3%
FL avg 58.9% . +5.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 38 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 47 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores are up about 2 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 5 points.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 38.4% | 47.3% |
| 2023-24 | 36.0% | 42.2% |
% at Level 3 or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
40.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
54.4%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-13.6pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 41% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 54% typical for Florida schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Florida's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL
VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL's state test result (40.8% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL this school | 1,009 | 53.5% | 40.8% |
| HORIZON MIDDLE SCHOOL KISSIMMEE | 1,008 | 54.2% | 48.8% |
| JAMES S. RICKARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL OAKLAND PARK | 770 | 52.1% | 44.2% |
| MANATEE MIDDLE SCHOOL NAPLES | 781 | 50.3% | 53.5% |
| HARNS MARSH MIDDLE SCHOOL LEHIGH ACRES | 905 | 58.7% | 45.0% |
| APOPKA MIDDLE APOPKA | 858 | 54.0% | 45.2% |
Matched among Florida middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Lee County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 40.8% | #457 of 560 | #16 of 18 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 47.3% | #403 of 560 ▲ 8 | #15 of 18 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 38.4% | #463 of 560 ▼ 31 | #16 of 18 ▼ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,009 | #144 of 584 | #7 of 18 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.0:1 | #471 of 547 | #17 of 18 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 54.0% | #335 of 553 | #14 of 18 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 53.5% | #256 of 565 | #6 of 18 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -18.8% | #138 of 379 | #4 of 8 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,009
-266 (-21%) vs 2020
+1% since 2010-11, when it was 1,000
Student : Teacher
22.0:1
was 19.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,009 | 46 | 22.0:1 | 54% (540) |
| 2023-24 | 1,257 | 55.4 | 22.7:1 | 63% (795) |
| 2022-23 | 1,307 | 64.8 | 20.2:1 | 62% (807) |
| 2020-21 | 1,275 | 64 | 19.9:1 | 59% (751) |
| 2017-18 | 1,242 | 75 | 16.6:1 | 58% (719) |
| 2015-16 | 1,069 | 62 | 17.2:1 | 61% (656) |
| 2010-11 | 1,000 | 54 | 18.5:1 | 76% (758) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL.
About VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL
VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL is a medium-sized middle-grades school with an address in LEHIGH ACRES, Florida. The school counts 1,009 students across grades 6 through 8. Average enrollment for middle schools in Florida is about 794, so this school runs 27% bigger than that.
VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL is a school in LEE. The district has 116 schools and 102,524 students.
By race and ethnicity, VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL is 62% Hispanic. After that, the student body is 25% Black, 9% White, and 2% multiracial. Census figures show Lee County is about 25% Hispanic. The chance that two students picked at random at VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 54%.
Its 46 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 22.0:1. That ratio is over the 19.6:1 average for middle schools in Florida. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is 54%.
allk12 grades VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL a D. The grade compares the school only with Florida public middle schools, because each state gives its own test.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL is 13.6 points below its prediction. Actual: 40.8%. Predicted: 54.4%.
Across Lee County, median household income is about $76,107, about 31% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 8%. VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL is among the 123 public schools in Lee County.
The closest public school, LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, is about 0.3 miles from VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. On state test proficiency, VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL ranks 4th in a group of 8 nearby schools.
Federal data place VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL in the Suburb: Large locale, which means it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Federal counts put enrollment at 1,275 in 2020-21 and 1,009 in 2024-25, a 21% decrease. Federal data show the ratio rising from 19.9:1 to 22.0:1.
Discussions about VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL may include school safety, transportation, and start times. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Lee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
817,666
Census ACS
Median income
$76,107
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
123
102,524 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in LEE
- GATEWAY CHARTER SCHOOLCombined · 3,192 students
- LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,550 students
- GATEWAY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,343 students
- IDA S. BAKER HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,191 students
- EAST LEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,129 students
- CAPE CORAL HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,008 students
Other schools in LEHIGH ACRES
- LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,550 students
- EAST LEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,129 students
- VETERANS PARK ACADEMY FOR THE ARTSElementary · 1,937 students
- LEHIGH ACRES MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 1,509 students
- SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 1,456 students
- MIRROR LAKES ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 1,237 students
Nearby schools
- LEHIGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL0.3 mi · 2,550
- TORTUGA PRESERVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.7 mi · 1,172
- SUNSHINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL2.3 mi · 1,456
- HARNS MARSH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL2.3 mi · 1,103
- HARNS MARSH MIDDLE SCHOOL2.3 mi · 905
- GATEWAY HIGH SCHOOL2.4 mi · 2,343
Frequently asked questions
About VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOLHow many students attend VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL?
VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL enrolls approximately 1,009 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL serve?
VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL?
Approximately 22.0:1 students per teacher at VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL.
What is the student diversity at VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL?
Student demographics at VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL are roughly 9% White, 62% Hispanic, 25% Black, 1% Asian, 2% Two or more.
What district is VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL in?
VARSITY LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL is part of LEE.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.