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Atwater Elementary

Q: Is Atwater Elementary a good school?

Atwater Elementary ranks 504 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

504^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Atwater Elementary in North Port, FL, is a mid-sized school serving 892 students from Pre-K through 5th grade, and it is part of the highly-ranked Sarasota district. This school stands out for its exceptional early academic performance, particularly in 3rd grade, where 78% of students were proficient in both English Language Arts and Math—outpacing the district and state averages, and even beating every nearby school in 3rd grade ELA. Atwater also demonstrates remarkable consistency in math across all grades, with proficiency rates holding steady around 78-79% from 3rd through 5th grade, a strength not seen in many neighboring schools like Glenallen Elementary School, which sees a drop in 5th grade math.

However, the school faces a significant challenge with a dramatic spike in chronic absenteeism, jumping from just 6.7% in 2022-2023 to 28.1% in 2023-2024—a rate now higher than the district average and nearly matching the state average. This is a school-specific issue, not a district-wide trend, and it is a critical factor for parents to monitor, as it could impact future test scores and rankings. On a positive note, Atwater operates efficiently, spending $16,123 per student—less than its direct peers like Cranberry Elementary School and Lamarque Elementary School—while still achieving strong academic results.

Compared to schools in the neighboring Charlotte district, such as Peace River Elementary School and Neil Armstrong Elementary School, Atwater is a clear outperformer. Within its own district, it is a solid, middle-of-the-pack school, with Toledo Blade Elementary School being the only nearby school that consistently surpasses it, especially in upper-grade ELA. For parents, Atwater offers excellent value with strong math and early literacy programs, but the recent absenteeism trend is a key area to watch closely.

892

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,123

Per pupil spending ?

61.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4701 Huntsville Ave
North Port, FL 34288

(941) 257-2317

District: Sarasota

Students who attend Atwater Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Woodland Middle School
High:	North Port High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.6%

Hispanic:

19.8%

African American:

9.2%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Atwater Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (73% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Florida elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg73%

Florida avg62%

504^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 25 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 31Elementary Schools in the Sarasota

9^th of 70Sarasota 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	75.1	504 of 2240	77.5%	★★★★☆
2025	65.1	752 of 2258	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.0	618 of 2256	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	69.8	632 of 2240	71.8%	★★★★☆
2022	70.4	619 of 2219	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	76.2	509 of 2247	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	75.5	505 of 2182	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	61.5	788 of 2118	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	65.4	718 of 2112	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.7	986 of 2087	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	48.0	1065 of 2064	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.1	818 of 2029	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.4	728 of 1984	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.8	938 of 1985	52.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math79%+14 vs state

English Language Arts69%+9 vs state

Science67%+7 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 19, 2016

Our son has been in the accelerated classes at Atwater since 2013. His teachers have all been gifted certified and challenge the students with meaningful assignments (not just busy work for gifted kids). Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, May 21, 2015

Overall, I feel this school is lacking a strong confident leader. Two of my children have attended Atwater Elementary. The aftercare team and front lobby staff are very compassionate and professional. Besides that. What I have experienced is the "chain of command" turning the cheek when a situation needs to be handled and resolved. I've experienced, Language/Speech Therapy poorly inconsistent. IEP/504 care team, in other words signatures required. Conclusion, a weak school Close Quote

Schools Near Atwater Elementary

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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
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
Toledo Blade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Geranium Ave	North Port	34288	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 426-6100	841	46	18.2	54.1%	559 (66.5%)	64 (7.6%)	149 (17.7%)	12 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (6.5%)	82.5	322^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	85.6%		80.2	405^th of 2258 public elementary schools	82.1%	83	76.0	67.0	74.0	78.0	83.0	83.0	79.0	$14,895	$1,356	$13,541
Liberty Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	370 Atwater St	Port Charlotte	33954	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7515	764	48	15.9	55.2%	431 (56.4%)	64 (8.4%)	174 (22.8%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	81 (10.6%)	58.6	913^th of 2240 public elementary schools	59.2%		57.4	935^th of 2258 public elementary schools	58.6%	22	67.0	61.0	64.0	70.0	64.0	64.0	59.0	$13,382	$1,280	$12,102
Neil Armstrong Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	22100 Breezeswept Ave	Port Charlotte	33952	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7450	763	50	15.2	60.3%	382 (50.1%)	99 (13.0%)	207 (27.1%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	60 (7.9%)	34.9	1528^th of 2240 public elementary schools	31.8%		44.8	1229^th of 2258 public elementary schools	45.6%	299	59.0	58.0	50.0	58.0	56.0	48.0	43.0	$13,101	$999	$12,103
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
Cranberry Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2775 Shalimar Ter	North Port	34286	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 480-3400	813	55	14.7	66.2%	501 (61.6%)	62 (7.6%)	180 (22.1%)	10 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	54 (6.6%)	68.1	674^th of 2240 public elementary schools	69.9%		70.5	629^th of 2258 public elementary schools	72.1%	45	60.0	69.0	63.0	70.0	78.0	71.0	72.0	$17,607	$2,017	$15,589
Lamarque Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3415 Lamarque Ave	North Port	34286	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 426-6371	1,025	72	14.2	64.0%	672 (65.6%)	73 (7.1%)	201 (19.6%)	11 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (6.5%)	49.9	1143^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	49.0%		54	1016^th of 2258 public elementary schools	55.0%	127	61.0	50.0	57.0	60.0	54.0	76.0	68.0	$17,128	$2,294	$14,834
Meadow Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3131 Lake View Blvd	Port Charlotte	33948	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7470	708	46	15.3	55.5%	408 (57.6%)	54 (7.6%)	173 (24.4%)	12 (1.7%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	55 (7.8%)	66.4	717^th of 2240 public elementary schools	68.0%		50.4	1104^th of 2258 public elementary schools	51.1%	387	64.0	66.0	58.0	75.0	77.0	70.0	67.0	$13,350	$1,120	$12,230
Peace River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4070 Beaver Ln	Port Charlotte	33952	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7622	557	38	14.6	63.2%	263 (47.2%)	92 (16.5%)	138 (24.8%)	10 (1.8%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.0%)	10.9	2125^th of 2240 public elementary schools	5.1%		19	1944^th of 2258 public elementary schools	13.9%	181	30.0	46.0	37.0	33.0	45.0	42.0	30.0	$15,643	$1,259	$14,385
Glenallen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7050 Glenallen Blvd	North Port	34287	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 426-9517	749	49	15.2	74.8%	439 (58.6%)	49 (6.5%)	197 (26.3%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	52 (6.9%)	63.8	789^th of 2240 public elementary schools	64.8%		47.5	1173^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	48.1%	384	67.0	58.0	65.0	72.0	73.0	63.0	68.0	$16,945	$2,424	$14,520

Frequently Asked Questions about Atwater Elementary

How many students attend Atwater Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 892 students attended Atwater Elementary.

Is Atwater Elementary a good school?

Atwater Elementary ranks 504^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Atwater Elementary in?

Sarasota

What schools do graduates of Atwater Elementary attend?

Students who attend Atwater Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Woodland Middle School
High : North Port High School

What is the racial makeup of Atwater Elementary?

Students at Atwater Elementary are 63% White, 20% Hispanic, 9% African American, 7% Two or more races.

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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.