Enrollment
1,171
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ocala, FL
Liberty Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Liberty Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120126004385
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Liberty Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Ocala · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 54.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Liberty Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle School ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Ocala, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Liberty Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Liberty Middle School
Liberty Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Ocala, Florida, enrolling 1,171 students.
At 17.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.4% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,171 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 669 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #160.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (39%) and White (28%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 293 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 377 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,171 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students) and Forest High School (2,387 students) alongside Liberty Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Liberty Middle School compares
Liberty Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.4% | ▲ 5% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,171 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,171
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 60% in Florida - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,818
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 293 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
121
in-school suspensions + 256 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 39.3%
White 27.6%
African American 20.8%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 4.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.9, Liberty Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marion, which includes Liberty Middle School.
$10,818
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 43.3%
Federal 21.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Liberty Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Port High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vanguard High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Liberty Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,022
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,387
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,904
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,684
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,171 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Liberty Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Liberty Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Marion's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Liberty Middle School
How many students attend Liberty Middle School?
Liberty Middle School has 1,171 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ocala, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle School is 17.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Liberty Middle School?
54.4% of students at Liberty Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Liberty Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Liberty Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 39.3% of enrollment, in Ocala, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Liberty Middle School?
Liberty Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Liberty Middle School rank among middle schools in Ocala?
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle School ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Ocala, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Ocala on the city page.
Is Liberty Middle School a good school?
Liberty Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Marion?
Besides Liberty Middle School, Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students), Forest High School (2,387 students), and Belleview High School (1,904 students). See the Marion district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.