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Emerald Shores Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2071^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 8% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Emerald Shores Elementary School in Ocala, FL, serves 696 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade within the Marion County School District, where over 70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Emerald Shores faces significant challenges, most notably an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 35.4% for the 2023-2024 school year. This is a critical issue that is likely a major barrier to learning, and it is much higher than nearby schools like Ward-Highlands Elementary School (22.5%) and Marion Charter School (15.5%). The school also has a higher student-to-teacher ratio (18.3:1) than most nearby peers, which can limit individual attention. Academic performance is persistently low, with proficiency rates in core subjects often falling well below district and state averages. For example, 3rd grade ELA proficiency is 33%, compared to 60% statewide, while nearby Ward-Highlands achieves 72%.

Despite these struggles, there is a positive trend in 5th grade English Language Arts, where proficiency has steadily increased from 41% to 47% over the last few years, suggesting that specific literacy interventions may be working. Interestingly, the school spends $11,349 per student, which is more than the higher-performing Marion Charter School ($9,559), indicating that funding alone is not the issue. The data suggests that a fundamental shift in school culture, with a laser focus on improving attendance and implementing effective instructional strategies, is needed to reverse the school's long-term trajectory.

696

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,349

Per pupil spending ?

71.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

404 Emerald Rd
Ocala, FL 34472

(352) 671-4800

District: Marion

Students who attend Emerald Shores Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lake Weir Middle School
High:	Lake Weir High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.6%

Hispanic:

27.9%

African American:

25.6%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 11th percentile in 2016 → 8th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (41% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Math scores 23 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school41%

District avg52%

Florida avg62%

2,071^st of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 32Elementary Schools in the Marion

63^rd of 70Marion among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	13.5	2071 of 2240	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	19.3	1934 of 2258	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.3	2077 of 2256	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.1	1798 of 2240	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.4	1587 of 2219	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.2	1921 of 2247	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	2052 of 2182	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.0	1968 of 2118	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	26.1	1599 of 2112	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.5	1852 of 2087	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.2	1837 of 2064	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	20.8	1708 of 2029	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.9	1599 of 1984	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.9	1479 of 1985	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.6	1347 of 1919	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.1	1319 of 1847	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.7	1288 of 1789	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	41.4	1109 of 1786	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	50.9	855 of 1688	49.3%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math41%-23 vs state

English Language Arts40%-20 vs state

Science39%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Emerald Shores Elementary School

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Ranking:

E = Elementary, M = Middle, H = High, A = Alternative, P = Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Emerald Shores Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	404 Emerald Rd	Ocala	34472	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-4800	696	38	18.3	71.7%	262 (37.6%)	178 (25.6%)	194 (27.9%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	53 (7.6%)	13.5	2071^st of 2240 public elementary schools	7.5%		19.3	1934^th of 2258 public elementary schools	14.3%	137	33.0	42.0	47.0	39.0	48.0	37.0	39.0	$11,349	$1,445	$9,903
Marion Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	39 Cedar Rd	Ocala	34472	Marion County	Marion	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 687-2100	228	16	14.2	57.9%	106 (46.5%)	26 (11.4%)	71 (31.1%)	7 (3.1%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (6.1%)	64.6	765^th of 2240 public elementary schools	65.8%		63.7	789^th of 2258 public elementary schools	65.1%	24	71.0	54.0	72.0	76.0	59.0	84.0	69.0	$9,559	$599	$8,960
Greenway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	207 Midway Rd	Ocala	34472	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-4845	720	45	16.0	68.5%	199 (27.6%)	167 (23.2%)	287 (39.9%)	7 (1.0%)	6 (0.8%)	3 (0.4%)	51 (7.1%)	25.1	1788^th of 2240 public elementary schools	20.2%		28.1	1699^th of 2258 public elementary schools	24.8%	89	46.0	43.0	59.0	57.0	38.0	47.0	44.0	$12,300	$1,506	$10,795
Belleview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5556 SE County Highway 484	Belleview	34420	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6100	681	42	16.2	67.4%	370 (54.3%)	72 (10.6%)	199 (29.2%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.1%)	22.8	1852^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	17.3%		28.3	1693^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	25.0%	159	46.0	45.0	51.0	54.0	45.0	42.0	47.0	$11,217	$1,327	$9,890
Legacy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8496 Juniper Rd	Ocala	34480	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-0800	753	34	22.1	71.0%	214 (28.4%)	190 (25.2%)	269 (35.7%)	4 (0.5%)	8 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (8.9%)	8.2	2168^th of 2240 public elementary schools	3.2%		8.4	2176^th of 2258 public elementary schools	3.6%	8	32.0	33.0	35.0	40.0	28.0	45.0	36.0	$10,526	$1,308	$9,218
Belleview-Santos Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9600 SE Us Highway 441	Belleview	34420	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6260	663	41	16.1	63.2%	324 (48.9%)	70 (10.6%)	222 (33.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (6.3%)	7.9	2171^st of 2240 public elementary schools	3.1%		16.2	2007^th of 2258 public elementary schools	11.1%	164	35.0	36.0	44.0	38.0	38.0	29.0	26.0	$12,075	$1,538	$10,537
Harbour View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8445 SE 147th Pl	Summerfield	34491	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6110	833	50	16.6	65.5%	412 (49.5%)	62 (7.4%)	306 (36.7%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (5.2%)	12.6	2087^th of 2240 public elementary schools	6.8%		14.1	2058^th of 2258 public elementary schools	8.9%	29	30.0	35.0	45.0	39.0	49.0	36.0	46.0	$12,582	$1,553	$11,030
Maplewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4751 SE 24th St	Ocala	34471	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6820	819	62	13.2	57.4%	399 (48.7%)	168 (20.5%)	197 (24.1%)	10 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.0%)	54.7	1027^th of 2240 public elementary schools	54.2%		54.3	1009^th of 2258 public elementary schools	55.3%	18	47.0	60.0	71.0	51.0	66.0	74.0	69.0	$15,538	$2,418	$13,120
Ward-Highlands Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	537 SE 36th Ave	Ocala	34471	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 671-6810	908	60	15.1	53.6%	482 (53.1%)	130 (14.3%)	225 (24.8%)	11 (1.2%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.2%)	73.1	551^st of 2240 public elementary schools	75.4%		70.8	614^th of 2258 public elementary schools	72.8%	63	72.0	70.0	64.0	73.0	77.0	71.0	71.0	$12,215	$1,264	$10,952
Shady Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5959 S Magnolia Ave	Ocala	34471	Marion County	Marion	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 291-4085	615	39	15.7	53.3%	308 (50.1%)	68 (11.1%)	186 (30.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.0%)	42.8	1325^th of 2240 public elementary schools	40.8%		41.9	1299^th of 2258 public elementary schools	42.5%	26	54.0	51.0	57.0	62.0	65.0	62.0	50.0	$12,297	$1,092	$11,205

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerald Shores Elementary School

What district is Emerald Shores Elementary School in?

Marion

What is the racial makeup of Emerald Shores Elementary School?

Students at Emerald Shores Elementary School are 38% White, 28% Hispanic, 26% African American, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend Emerald Shores Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 696 students attended Emerald Shores Elementary School.

Is Emerald Shores Elementary School a good school?

Emerald Shores Elementary School ranks in the bottom 7.5% of Florida elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Emerald Shores Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Emerald Shores Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lake Weir Middle School
High : Lake Weir High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.