Sunrise Elementary School

Sunrise Elementary School in Ocala, FL, is a large public school serving 1,402 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in the Marion Oaks area, where about 66% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This school stands out for its remarkable turnaround, jumping from the 11th percentile in state rankings to the 32nd percentile in the 2025-2026 school year, earning a 2-star rating for the first time in years. Despite being the largest elementary school in its peer group—nearly double the size of Marion Oaks Elementary—Sunrise achieves these gains with the lowest per-student spending ($10,032) and the highest student-teacher ratio (19.2:1) among nearby schools, a true story of doing more with less.

Academically, Sunrise is outpacing several higher-spending neighbors. For example, in 5th grade math, 61% of Sunrise students were proficient, matching Saddlewood Elementary (61%) and Shady Hill Elementary (62%), while surpassing South Ocala Elementary (51%) and Legacy Elementary (45%). In 4th grade English Language Arts, Sunrise scored 55% proficient, outperforming South Ocala (45%), Harbour View Elementary (35%), and Legacy (33%). A consistent bright spot is 4th grade math, where 57% of students were proficient, exceeding the Marion district average (53%) and all nearby schools except Saddlewood and Shady Hill.

Chronic absenteeism remains a challenge, though it has improved from 49% to 35.6% over two years. The school’s upward trajectory is especially notable given this hurdle, and it is closing the gap with demographically similar schools like Saddlewood (53rd percentile) and Shady Hill (41st percentile). While Ina A. Colen Academy shows much higher scores with a very different student population, Sunrise’s progress highlights effective instruction and resourcefulness. For parents, this is a school on the rise, offering strong academic gains despite large class sizes and limited funding.