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West Elementary School

Q: Is West Elementary School a good school?

West Elementary School ranks 1623 rd of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1623^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

West Elementary School in Arcadia, FL, is a PK-5 public school serving 622 students in the Desoto County district, a high-poverty community where 62.5% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 28th percentile of Florida elementary schools, but it stands out as a relative leader within its own low-performing district, especially in early-grade math.

West Elementary shows a notable "3rd Grade Bump," where 3rd graders consistently outperform their 4th and 5th-grade peers in both English Language Arts and Math, suggesting strong primary-grade instruction. For example, in 2025-2026, 3rd-grade Math proficiency (65%) was higher than at district rivals Nocatee Elementary (49%) and Memorial Elementary (61%). However, the school struggles to maintain this momentum in upper grades, and 5th-grade Science proficiency (35%) is alarmingly low—25 points below the state average and the worst among nearby schools, including Deep Creek Elementary (48%) and Atwater Elementary (67%). Chronic absenteeism, while improving from 31.5% to 23.1%, still affects nearly one in four students, though this rate is better than the district average (34.0%) and the state average (31.4%).

Compared to schools in neighboring Sarasota and Charlotte counties, West Elementary operates in a fundamentally different environment. For instance, Atwater Elementary’s 4th-grade Math proficiency (79%) is 30 points higher than West’s (49%), and Deep Creek Elementary’s 3rd-grade ELA (63%) outpaces West’s (50%) by 13 points. West spends $12,662 per student, more than Zolfo Springs Elementary ($11,916) but less than Atwater ($16,123), highlighting a gap between investment and outcomes. While West is a bright spot in Desoto County, these disparities underscore the profound impact of district resources and socioeconomic factors on student achievement.

622

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,662

Per pupil spending ?

62.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

304 W Imogene St
Arcadia, FL 34266

(863) 494-3155

District: Desoto

Students who attend West Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Desoto Middle School
High:	Desoto County High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.6%

White:

37.8%

African American:

9.5%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 21st percentile in 2016 → 28th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (52% vs 62% meeting standards)

!Science scores 25 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg46%

Florida avg62%

1,623^rd of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 21% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Desoto

68^th of 70Desoto 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	31.8	1623 of 2240	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.2	1472 of 2258	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.9	1460 of 2256	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.8	1880 of 2240	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	1935 of 2219	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.3	1855 of 2247	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.5	1775 of 2182	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.2	1779 of 2118	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.8	1917 of 2112	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	23.5	1655 of 2087	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.2	1645 of 2064	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	26.8	1576 of 2029	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	36.6	1285 of 1984	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	38.2	1300 of 1985	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.3	1051 of 1919	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	63.3	706 of 1847	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.4	552 of 1789	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.9	620 of 1786	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	56.8	745 of 1688	55.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math57%-7 vs state

English Language Arts51%-9 vs state

Science35%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near West 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
West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	304 W Imogene St	Arcadia	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 494-3155	622	37	16.8	62.5%	235 (37.8%)	59 (9.5%)	302 (48.6%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)	31.8	1623^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	27.5%		36.2	1472^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	34.8%	151	50.0	56.0	47.0	65.0	49.0	56.0	35.0	$12,662	$1,631	$11,031
Memorial Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	851 E Hickory St	Arcadia	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 494-0755	861	44	19.5	66.4%	178 (20.7%)	154 (17.9%)	494 (57.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.8%)	27	1746^th of 2240 public elementary schools	22.1%		23.3	1817^th of 2258 public elementary schools	19.5%	71	45.0	47.0	35.0	61.0	59.0	51.0	44.0	$11,415	$1,411	$10,005
Nocatee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4846 SW Shores Ave	Nocatee	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 494-4511	475	26	18.2	70.3%	117 (24.6%)	50 (10.5%)	293 (61.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.9%)	19.2	1951^st of 2240 public elementary schools	12.9%		26	1753^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	22.4%	198	36.0	29.0	51.0	49.0	40.0	53.0	49.0	$12,725	$1,616	$11,109
Atwater Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4701 Huntsville Ave	North Port	34288	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 257-2317	892	55	16.2	61.8%	558 (62.6%)	82 (9.2%)	177 (19.8%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	65 (7.3%)	75.1	504^th of 2240 public elementary schools	77.5%		65.1	752^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	66.7%	248	78.0	64.0	64.0	78.0	79.0	79.0	67.0	$16,123	$1,965	$14,159
Deep Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	26900 Harbor View Rd	Pt Charlotte	33983	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7535	781	50	15.6	44.0%	467 (59.8%)	80 (10.2%)	142 (18.2%)	16 (2.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (9.3%)	58	933^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	58.3%		69.4	657^th of 2258 public elementary schools	70.9%	276	63.0	71.0	66.0	67.0	79.0	57.0	48.0	$12,753	$599	$12,155
Kingsway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	23300 Quasar Blvd	Port Charlotte	33980	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7590	579	41	14.1	54.6%	310 (53.5%)	71 (12.3%)	138 (23.8%)	10 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (7.9%)	34	1561^st of 2240 public elementary schools	30.3%		40.5	1340^th of 2258 public elementary schools	40.7%	221	42.0	41.0	56.0	66.0	55.0	54.0	54.0	$14,414	$1,066	$13,347
Zolfo Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3215 School House Rd	Zolfo Springs	33890	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5473	512	35	14.6	78.5%	187 (36.5%)	3 (0.6%)	305 (59.6%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	47.3	1216^th of 2240 public elementary schools	45.7%		40	1365^th of 2258 public elementary schools	39.5%	149	50.0	57.0	59.0	57.0	70.0	66.0	54.0	$11,916	$1,791	$10,126

Frequently Asked Questions about West Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of West Elementary School?

Students at West Elementary School are 49% Hispanic, 38% White, 9% African American, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend West Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 622 students attended West Elementary School.

What district is West Elementary School in?

Desoto

What schools do graduates of West Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Desoto Middle School
High : Desoto County High School

Is West Elementary School a good school?

West Elementary School ranks 1623^rd of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate West Elementary School!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

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.