Summary
Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, FL, is a high-performing K-5 school within the Broward district, serving 978 students in a community known for its strong educational environment. The school has a long track record of academic excellence, consistently earning top rankings in the state, and currently sits at 80th out of over 2,240 Florida elementary schools. Its standout feature is exceptional math performance, particularly in early grades, with 94% of 3rd graders proficient in math—a rate that outpaces nearby top schools like Everglades Elementary (88%) and Indian Trace Elementary (85%). Across all subjects, proficiency rates range from 81% to 94%, showing a well-rounded program with no significant weak spots.
Compared to its closest rival, Everglades Elementary, Manatee Bay has shown a positive upward trend, recently pulling ahead in state rankings. However, the school faces a unique challenge with chronic absenteeism, which at 24.9% is the highest among its immediate peer group of top-performing Weston schools. For context, Eagle Point Elementary has an 18.0% rate, and Gator Run Elementary sits at 18.3%. While this rate is better than district and state averages, it remains a red flag, as high absenteeism can impact long-term academic growth. The school’s per-student spending ($11,644) is slightly above average for its peers, but its success appears driven more by community support and effective resource allocation than by high spending alone.
Manatee Bay is part of a remarkable cluster of high-achieving schools in Weston, where nearby schools like Eagle Point, Gator Run, and Indian Trace all rank in the top 5% of the state. This creates a competitive ecosystem, but also highlights a stark contrast with lower-performing nearby schools like Chapel Trail Elementary and Hawkes Bluff Elementary, which have higher poverty rates. For parents, the key takeaway is that Manatee Bay offers a consistently excellent education, but addressing its chronic absenteeism is the single most important lever for sustaining its high performance and preventing future declines.
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