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Tara Elementary School

Q: Is Tara Elementary School a good school?

Tara Elementary School ranks 295 th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

295^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Tara Elementary School is a public elementary school in Bradenton, Florida, serving 568 students in grades PK-5. As part of the Manatee School District, which is ranked 41 out of 67 districts in the state, Tara Elementary consistently outperforms the district and the state of Florida in academic assessments.

In the 2024-2025 school year, Tara Elementary had significantly higher proficiency rates compared to the district and state in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math for grades 3-5. For example, in 3rd grade ELA, Tara had 82% proficiency compared to 52% for the district and 57% for the state. The school has a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 15% of Florida elementary schools in recent years, and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2022-2023 school year. However, Tara Elementary has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 14.8% in 2021-2022 to 31.4% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Tara Elementary outperforms many of the nearby schools in the Manatee district, including B.D. Gullett Elementary, Manatee Charter School, and Oneco Elementary. The school's higher spending per student, ranging from $10,558 in 2020-2021 to $13,812 in 2023-2024, and its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.6 to 14.2 in recent years, may contribute to its academic success. Overall, Tara Elementary School serves as a model of excellence in the Manatee district, providing valuable educational opportunities for its diverse student population.

582

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,251

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6950 Linger Lodge Rd E
Bradenton, FL 34203

(941) 751-7660

District: Manatee

Students who attend Tara Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Braden River Middle School
High:	Braden River High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.3%

Hispanic:

28.2%

Asian:

7.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 66th percentile in 2014 → 87th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (77% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Florida elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school77%

District avg56%

Florida avg58%

295^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 42Elementary Schools in the Manatee

41^st of 67Manatee 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
2025	84.8	295 of 2258	86.9%	★★★★☆
2024	84.8	304 of 2256	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	88.4	207 of 2240	90.8%	★★★★★
2022	83.3	333 of 2219	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	83.1	355 of 2247	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	61.9	794 of 2182	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.7	714 of 2118	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	65.4	716 of 2112	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	72.1	560 of 2087	73.2%	★★★★☆
2014	64.7	704 of 2064	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.0	1028 of 2029	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	58.2	836 of 1984	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.2	903 of 1985	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	50.2	1026 of 1919	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	58.1	813 of 1847	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	56.0	831 of 1789	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.3	839 of 1786	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.7	778 of 1688	53.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Math81%+21 vs state

English Language Arts74%+18 vs state

Science73%+18 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, August 18, 2012

As parents of students at Tara we have been very pleased with their progress there and also with the teachers they have had through their experiences. We have also had foster children attending there and they have always had a good experience at the school and earned good grades.
Dr. Foust was always a fair, kind principal who had the best interest of the children in mind. We look forward to getting to know our new principal this coming year, Steve Royce.
Thank you Tara teachers and all the people who work at Tara. Close Quote

Schools Near Tara Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)						FAST Math (2025)						Statewide Science Science (2025)		EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Geometry (2025)	EOC Biology 1 (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Tara Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6950 Linger Lodge Rd E	Bradenton	34203	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 751-7660	582	41	14.1	51.7%	310 (53.3%)	30 (5.2%)	164 (28.2%)	41 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	35 (6.0%)	84.8	295^th of 2258 public elementary schools	86.9%		84.8	304^th of 2256 public elementary schools	86.5%	9	82.0	67.0	73.0				88.0	64.0	76.0	100.0			73.0						$14,251	$1,099	$13,153
Braden River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6125 River Club Blvd	Bradenton	34202	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 751-7012	547	37	14.7	40.6%	320 (58.5%)	22 (4.0%)	159 (29.1%)	16 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.5%)	70.1	639^th of 2258 public elementary schools	71.7%		81.1	374^th of 2256 public elementary schools	83.4%	265	62.0	65.0	60.0				83.0	57.0	61.0	100.0			67.0						$14,305	$981	$13,326
William H. Bashaw Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3515 57th St E	Bradenton	34208	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 741-3307	720	48	15.0	67.9%	222 (30.8%)	148 (20.6%)	276 (38.3%)	12 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (8.2%)	21.1	1872^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	17.1%		33.7	1523^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	32.5%	349	38.0	37.0	46.0				45.0	33.0	30.0	90.0			38.0						$11,728	$1,094	$10,635
Marjorie G. Kinnan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3415 Tallevast Rd	Sarasota	34243	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 358-2888	522	35	14.9	68.0%	132 (25.3%)	58 (11.1%)	281 (53.8%)	20 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.7%)	50.9	1093^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	51.6%		40.8	1322^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	41.4%	229	39.0	50.0	53.0				59.0	58.0	73.0	100.0			58.0						$14,629	$1,535	$13,095
B.D. Gullett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12125 44th Ave E	Bradenton	34211	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 727-2607	1,314	79	16.6	21.3%	898 (68.3%)	34 (2.6%)	236 (18.0%)	41 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	104 (7.9%)	83.6	322^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	85.7%		85.9	287^th of 2256 public elementary schools	87.3%	35	77.0	69.0	76.0				80.0	61.0	76.0	100.0			72.0						$9,992	$595	$9,398
Manatee Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	4550 30th St E	Bradenton	34203	Manatee County	Manatee	Yes	No	No	Yes	(941) 465-4296	619	38	16.2	51.2%	104 (16.8%)	115 (18.6%)	371 (59.9%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.7%)	24.5	1793^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	20.6%		14.1	2062^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	8.6%	269	42.0	38.0	44.0	30.0	43.0	33.0	51.0	36.0	56.0	33.0	21.0	29.0	61.0	20.0	78.0	82.0	88.0	69.0	$9,323	$379	$8,944
Oneco Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5214 22nd Street Ct E	Bradenton	34203	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 751-7018	576	40	14.4	73.6%	108 (18.8%)	128 (22.2%)	310 (53.8%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.3%)	20.4	1897^th of 2258 public elementary schools	16.0%		19.3	1924^th of 2256 public elementary schools	14.7%	27	34.0	40.0	30.0				57.0	42.0	48.0				29.0						$13,495	$1,687	$11,808
Imagine Charter At Lakewood Ranch	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	10535 Portal Crossing	Bradenton	34211	Manatee County	Manatee	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 750-0900	456	27	16.8	54.2%	248 (54.4%)	43 (9.4%)	133 (29.2%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.9%)	32.6	1569^th of 2258 public elementary schools	30.5%		31.9	1568^th of 2256 public elementary schools	30.5%	1	50.0	58.0	33.0	59.0	53.0	47.0	48.0	42.0	53.0	54.0	33.0	52.0	27.0	35.0	68.0			76.0	$11,871	$113	$11,758
Freedom Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9515 E State Road 64	Bradenton	34212	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 708-4990	736	46	16.0	43.9%	445 (60.5%)	52 (7.1%)	164 (22.3%)	18 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (7.7%)	70.9	612^th of 2258 public elementary schools	72.9%		82.2	354^th of 2256 public elementary schools	84.3%	258	67.0	59.0	72.0				72.0	59.0	73.0	100.0			64.0						$11,911	$966	$10,946
Gilbert W McNeal Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6325 Lorraine Rd	Lakewood Ranch	34202	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 751-8165	672	44	15.2	24.1%	476 (70.8%)	36 (5.4%)	109 (16.2%)	12 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (5.5%)	88.9	202^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	91.1%		92.3	106^th of 2256 public elementary schools	95.3%	96	77.0	77.0	73.0				82.0	78.0	78.0	100.0			82.0						$12,580	$933	$11,647

Frequently Asked Questions about Tara Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Tara Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Braden River Middle School
High : Braden River High School

Is Tara Elementary School a good school?

Tara Elementary School ranks 295^th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Tara Elementary School?

Students at Tara Elementary School are 53% White, 28% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American.

How many students attend Tara Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 582 students attended Tara Elementary School.

What district is Tara Elementary School in?

Manatee

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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.