Best Public Schools in Sarasota, FL

The Sarasota School District in Florida encompasses 41 schools, including 24 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 7 high schools, and 5 alternative schools. The district is ranked 11th out of 67 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. While the district overall outperforms the state average, there are significant disparities in academic performance among the schools.

Some of the standout schools in the Sarasota district include Southside Elementary School, which is ranked 10th out of 2,256 Florida elementary schools and has a 5-star rating, with exceptional test scores. Lakeview Elementary School is another top-performing elementary school, ranked 56th in the state and also with a 5-star rating. At the high school level, Suncoast Polytechnical High School stands out, ranked 13th out of 807 Florida high schools and with a 5-star rating.

However, the data also reveals significant performance gaps, with some schools, such as Tuttle Elementary and Gocio Elementary, having much lower proficiency rates compared to the district and state averages. Additionally, chronic absenteeism is a widespread issue, with an average rate of 31.4% across all schools. The data also suggests that magnet and charter schools in the Sarasota School District tend to have stronger academic performance than traditional public schools.