A closer look at Brown Barge Middle School.
Brown Barge is a public magnet middle school for grades six through eight. The school describes an integrative curriculum that combines subject learning with technology, individual work and cooperative projects.
The 2025–26 Florida DOE report classifies Brown Barge Middle School in the middle category, as a district public school in Escambia County. Its accountability grade is A; it earned 78% of possible accountability points. The published grade sequence is A in 2023–24, A in 2024–25, and A in 2025–26.
Integrated learning changes how a student approaches the school day
Our interpretation of published school information, not a campus inspection or an additional official rating.
Brown Barge describes its curriculum through interdisciplinary 'streams' that connect language arts, social studies, mathematics and science. The school gives examples of simulations, research and projects that bring several subjects into a shared theme. Our reading is that this is a genuine structural distinction: a family should investigate how a student learns through connections between subjects, rather than assume the experience follows a conventional sequence of separate assignments.
The stream descriptions also discuss group processes, individual contribution and reflection. That combination can create room for students to explain their thinking and learn how to collaborate, but it also calls for organization and clear assessment. We would pay attention to how teachers identify what each child understands within a shared project, and how they support someone who needs more structure, extra practice or help managing a longer task.
Why it may fit
Worth exploring for a student interested in connecting ideas, investigating a theme and producing work with others. A visit should include the student's reaction to the learning format, not just an adult's interest in the magnet designation.
What to weigh
Project-based work still needs clear academic expectations and individual feedback. Ask how missed work, group disagreements and gaps in foundational skills are handled, and verify the separate magnet application and admission process.
The Hancock Lane middle school also publishes a school-student-parent responsibility framework. That makes expectations about communication, independent work and family involvement a useful part of an admissions conversation.
Ask staff to trace one stream from its learning goals to a finished project, including how individual understanding is assessed and how a student who finds the format challenging receives support.
Based on Integrated curriculum and streams ↗ · School-student-parent responsibilities ↗. Confirm current programs and availability with the school.
What makes this school distinctive.
Integrated learning
Brown Barge's school overview explains an approach that connects disciplines and adjusts instruction to student progress.
School source ↗A shared family commitment
The school's Success Triangle describes responsibilities shared by the school, students and guardians.
School source ↗How the official results compare.
Its 78% overall points result is 15 percentage points above the 63% median among 9 other middle schools in Escambia County with reported data.
What the results suggest.
A consistent state classification
Three consecutive A grades give you a consistent accountability classification across the published years. That is useful context, but it does not show whether every subject, classroom or student made the same progress.
A result worth noticing
Mathematics is 91%, compared with a 56% median for 9 other local schools in the same state category. That 35-point difference is the largest positive peer gap among the subject measures available here. Ask which learning opportunities sit behind it and how a new student would access them.
The next question after the scores
None of the 4 subject measures with enough local comparison data falls below its own peer median. The next question is how the school supports both students who need more time and students ready for additional challenge. These school-level percentages do not measure class size, belonging or your child's likely outcome.
Calculated from the dated state results below. Peer gaps compare each subject with the same subject at other schools, not one subject with another. Measures can cover different student groups. They do not establish why a result occurred or the quality of a particular teacher.
| Measure | This school | Peer median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall accountability points | 78% | 63% (9 schools) | +15 pp |
| English language arts achievement | 86% | 53% (9 schools) | +33 pp |
| Mathematics achievement | 91% | 56% (9 schools) | +35 pp |
| Science achievement | 73% | 54% (9 schools) | +19 pp |
| Social studies achievement | 81% | 71% (9 schools) | +10 pp |
Swipe across the table to compare all columns.
Calculated from the linked Florida DOE release. The peer median is the middle school-level result, excludes this school, uses the same county and DOE school category, and ignores missing values. It is not weighted by enrollment. “pp” means percentage points. Graduation and acceleration measures use the cohorts specified by the state. Different measures describe different groups of students.
Use the results to identify questions, not to predict your child's experience. Programs, support, admissions and a campus visit can change which option fits your priorities. Read the state methodology ↗
Other schools to consider.
These are the nearest other report pages in the same county and Florida DOE school category, using recorded campus locations. Their placement is based on location and school format, not a recommendation or enrollment entitlement.
J. H. Workman Middle School ↗
Directory grades 06–08 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Compare J. H. Workman Middle School's course options, student support and daily schedule with this school. A different program or learning format may matter more to your child than the overall grade. Worth investigating for a middle school student interested in visual design, practical building or a structured leadership-oriented elective. Let the student's response to actual projects help guide the discussion about an introductory option.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Ferry Pass Middle School ↗
Directory grades 06–08 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Compare Ferry Pass Middle School's course options, student support and daily schedule with this school. A different program or learning format may matter more to your child than the overall grade. Worth investigating for a student who wants both academic and extracurricular ways to settle into middle school. Ask which current activities welcome beginners and how a student entering midyear can get involved.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Bellview Middle School ↗
Directory grades 06–08 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Compare Bellview Middle School's course options, student support and daily schedule with this school. A different program or learning format may matter more to your child than the overall grade. A relevant option to investigate for a student curious about how digital systems work or how technology is used in business. Prior interest can guide the conversation without assuming the student already knows a future career.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Campus-to-campus distances are straight-line estimates, not driving routes or distances from your home. Use the address search on the school map for a comparison from your own location. An alternative may be a better fit when its verified program, support or learning format aligns with your child's needs; a higher score in one measure does not settle that decision.
Enrollment and a useful school visit.
Use Escambia Enrollment Services for the magnet application process and ask Brown Barge about current admission steps, orientation and transportation options. Enrollment resource ↗
- Can we see an example of an integrated unit and how each subject is assessed?
- What commitments does the Success Triangle ask of students and guardians?
Sources for this guide
School-specific research checked 2026-09-06. Accountability data: 2025–26, retrieved 2026-08-24. Directory information is dated separately above.