Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 60 schools in district

VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL

7 NW 28TH ST, OCALA, FL 34475MARION →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
1,661
Students
Total enrolled
89%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$11,790
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 18% vs nat'l
23.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 52% vs nat'l
31/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 37% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 1,661 students in grades 09–12 in OCALA, Florida.
18% below average funding
District spends $11,790 per pupil, 18% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 31th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL is a very large high in OCALA, Florida, serving grades 09–12 with 1,661 students. The district invests $11,790 per student — 18% below the national average of $14,347, with a 23.4:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 59% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 31/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL

1,661
Total Students
23.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
59%
Free Lunch
71
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution809 male · 852 female
49%
51%
Male 49%Female 51%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility59%
National avg 52% · 982 students
Student Composition
34%
21%
34%
Asian5%
White34%
Hispanic / Latino21%
Black34%
Multiracial5%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 120126001277

Academic Outcomes at VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
89
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
89%
State avg
88%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
31
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 31th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 3th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 34475

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$11,790Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$11,790
State avg
$12,753
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,187
Student Support$2,240
Administration$1,415
Operations$1,768
Other$1,179
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $11,790 spent per student, an estimated $5,223 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
43%
35%
State government
43.3%
Local (property tax)
35.3%
Federal programs
21.4%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 89% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 23.4:1 student-teacher ratio — larger classes than the national average of 15.4:1
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (31/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLFORT MCCOY SCHOOLWARD-HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLMARION OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
+11 more
↓
Middle
BELLEVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOLLIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOLLAKE WEIR MIDDLE SCHOOLFORT KING MIDDLE SCHOOL
+5 more
↓
High School
WEST PORT HIGH SCHOOLFOREST HIGH SCHOOLBELLEVIEW HIGH SCHOOLLAKE WEIR HIGH SCHOOL
+2 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyMarion County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictMARION →
Phone: (352)671-4900
NCES ID: 120126001277
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in OCALA seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in MARION
High
WEST PORT HIGH SCHOOL
2,906 students · 09–12
● 41 opp52% FRL
High
FOREST HIGH SCHOOL
2,325 students · 09–12
● 40 opp42% FRL
High
BELLEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
1,783 students · 09–12
57% FRL
Mid
BELLEVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
1,573 students · 06–08
60% FRL
High
LAKE WEIR HIGH SCHOOL
1,483 students · 09–12
● 35 opp68% FRL
Mid
LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL
1,365 students · 06–08
● 40 opp54% FRL
High
DUNNELLON HIGH SCHOOL
1,350 students · 09–12
63% FRL
High
NORTH MARION HIGH SCHOOL
1,303 students · 09–12
● 34 opp66% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
7 NW 28TH ST, OCALA, FL 34475
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.