Howell L. Watkins Middle School

9480 Macarthur Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL 33403
(School attendance zone shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%
Serving 720 students in grades 6-8, Howell L. Watkins Middle School ranks in the bottom 50% of all schools in Florida for overall test scores (math proficiency is bottom 50%, and reading proficiency is bottom 50%).
The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 27% (which is lower than the Florida state average of 52%). The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 34% (which is lower than the Florida state average of 52%).
The student:teacher ratio of 14:1 is lower than the Florida state level of 17:1.
Minority enrollment is 93% of the student body (majority Black), which is higher than the Florida state average of 65% (majority Hispanic and Black).

Quick Stats (2025)

  • School Type: Magnet School
  • Grades: 6-8
  • Enrollment: 720 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 93%
  • : Bottom 50% in FL
  • : 27% (Btm 50%)
  • : 34% (Btm 50%)
  • : 23% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), FL Dept. of Education

Top Rankings

Howell L. Watkins Middle School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Florida for:

School Overview

Howell L. Watkins Middle School's student population of 720 students has declined by 21% over five school years.
The teacher population of 53 teachers has declined by 10% over five school years.
School Type
Grades Offered
Grades 6-8
Total Students
720 students
This chart displays total students of Howell L. Watkins Middle School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Gender %
This chart displays gender of Howell L. Watkins Middle School
Total Classroom Teachers
53 teachers
This chart displays the total teachers of Howell L. Watkins Middle School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Students by Grade
This chart displays the students of Howell L. Watkins Middle School by grade.

School Rankings

Howell L. Watkins Middle School ranks within the bottom 50% of all 3,704 schools in Florida (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data).
The diversity score of Howell L. Watkins Middle School is 0.49, which is less than the diversity score at state average of 0.70. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School
State Level (FL)
#3221 out of 3704 schools
(Bottom 50%)
This chart displays the overall school rank of Howell L. Watkins Middle School, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
27%
52%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of public schools in Florida by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
34%
52%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Florida by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
23%
52%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of public schools in Florida by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
17:1
This chart displays the student teacher ratio of Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the public school average student teacher ratio of Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
American Indian
1%
n/a
Asian
1%
3%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of Asian public school students in Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Hispanic
19%
37%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of Hispanic public school students in Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Black
69%
21%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of Black public school students in Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
White
7%
35%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of White public school students in Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
Two or more races
3%
4%
This chart displays the percentage of students of two or more races in Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of public school students of two or more races in Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
All Ethnic Groups
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Howell L. Watkins Middle School.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of public school students of all ethnic groups in Florida.
0.49
This chart displays the diversity score of Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the public school average diversity score of Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
Yes
Eligible for Free Lunch
65%
47%
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for free lunch in Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for free lunch in Florida by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
5%
4%
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Howell L. Watkins Middle School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Florida by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
School District Name
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), FL Dept. of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Howell L. Watkins Middle School's ranking?
Howell L. Watkins Middle School is ranked #3221 out of 3,704 schools, which ranks it among the bottom 50% of public schools in Florida.
What schools are Howell L. Watkins Middle School often compared to?
Howell L. Watkins Middle Schoolis often viewed alongside schools like Watson B. Duncan Middle School by visitors of our site.
What percent of students have achieved state testing proficiency in math and reading?
27% of students have achieved math proficiency (compared to the 52% FL state average), while 34% of students have achieved reading proficiency (compared to the 52% FL state average).
How many students attend Howell L. Watkins Middle School?
720 students attend Howell L. Watkins Middle School.
What is the racial composition of the student body?
69% of Howell L. Watkins Middle School students are Black, 19% of students are Hispanic, 7% of students are White, 3% of students are Two or more races, 1% of students are American Indian, and 1% of students are Asian.
What is the student:teacher ratio of Howell L. Watkins Middle School?
Howell L. Watkins Middle School has a student ration of 14:1, which is lower than the Florida state average of 17:1.
What grades does Howell L. Watkins Middle School offer ?
Howell L. Watkins Middle School offers enrollment in grades 6-8
What school district is Howell L. Watkins Middle School part of?
Howell L. Watkins Middle School is part of Palm Beach School District.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • School Type: Magnet School
  • Grades: 6-8
  • Enrollment: 720 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 93%
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 27% (Btm 50%)
  • : 34% (Btm 50%)
  • : 23% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), FL Dept. of Education

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