Best Public Schools in Venice, FL

The city of Venice, Florida, is served by 10 public schools within the highly-rated Sarasota County School District, including four elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools, offering a range of educational options for families.

Several schools stand out for exceptional performance. Student Leadership Academy is the top middle school, ranking in the 93rd percentile with 100% proficiency in Algebra 1 and over 80% in all core subjects, despite having the lowest spending per student among middle schools. At the high school level, State College Of Fla Collegiate School-Venice achieves a perfect 100% graduation rate and ranks in the 87th percentile. Taylor Ranch Elementary School has shown strong improvement, earning a 5-star rating with 84% proficiency in 5th-grade Science. In contrast, Venice Elementary School spends the most per student ($18,034) but ranks lower (88th percentile), illustrating that higher funding does not always guarantee top results. The two Sky Academy middle schools, located at the same address, serve different populations: Sky Academy Englewood (1.53% free/reduced lunch) ranks in the 79th percentile, while Sky Academy Venice (4.78%) ranks in the 61st percentile.

Key metrics reveal a district with low chronic absenteeism (all schools below the state average of 31.4%) and high graduation rates, with Venice Senior High School graduating 97.3% of its 2,579 students. However, challenges exist: Venice Middle School excels in advanced math (89% in Algebra 1) but struggles with grade-level math (only 28% of 8th graders proficient). Island Village Montessori School shows a split performance, with strong EOC scores (100% in Algebra 1) but weak elementary math (32% of 3rd graders proficient). Garden Elementary School has the highest socioeconomic disadvantage (51.61% free/reduced lunch) and the highest chronic absenteeism (22.4%) among local schools.