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Sugar Mill Elementary School

Q: Is Sugar Mill Elementary School a good school?

Sugar Mill Elementary School ranks 1212 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1212^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Sugar Mill Elementary School in Port Orange, FL, is a mid-sized school serving 526 students in grades PK through 5, and is part of the Volusia County School District. While the school has historically been a solid performer, recent data shows it at a critical inflection point, with its state ranking dropping to the 46th percentile (2 stars) for the 2025-2026 school year—its lowest in a decade. This decline is especially notable given the high-performing schools nearby, such as Sweetwater Elementary (96th percentile, 5 stars) and Cypress Creek Elementary (84th percentile, 4 stars), which are trending upward and creating a challenging competitive environment for families.

A key differentiator is the school's struggle with math proficiency in upper grades, with only 57% of 4th and 5th graders meeting standards—well below district and state averages. In contrast, nearby Sweetwater Elementary boasts 90% math proficiency in the same grades. However, Sugar Mill shows a bright spot in 5th-grade science, where 62% of students are proficient, matching the state average. The school also faces a persistent challenge with chronic absenteeism, which has remained high at around 33-35% for the past four years, compared to just 13.2% at Sweetwater and 17.4% at Cypress Creek. This absenteeism rate is strongly linked to lower academic performance, making it a critical area for improvement.

Interestingly, per-student spending at Sugar Mill ($11,490) is in the middle of the pack compared to neighbors, suggesting that performance issues are not simply about funding but may relate to resource allocation or the high absenteeism rate. The school's internal test scores reveal a "tale of two schools," with 5th-grade ELA and science performing well, while 4th-grade ELA and math lag behind. For parents, this means Sugar Mill offers some strong programs, particularly in science, but the overall decline and high absenteeism are important factors to consider, especially when compared to the top-performing schools in the area.

526

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,490

Per pupil spending ?

60.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1101 Charles St
Port Orange, FL 32129

(386) 756-7130

District: Volusia

Students who attend Sugar Mill Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

Silver Sands Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.1%

Hispanic:

12.0%

Two or more races:

8.2%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Sugar Mill Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg62%

Florida avg62%

1,212^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From top 45% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

30^th of 48Elementary Schools in the Volusia

34^th of 70Volusia 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	47.5	1212 of 2240	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.3	1083 of 2258	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.9	820 of 2256	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.3	962 of 2240	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	817 of 2219	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.6	782 of 2247	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.5	954 of 2182	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	761 of 2118	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.8	911 of 2112	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.4	931 of 2087	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.6	617 of 2064	70.1%	★★★★☆
2013	50.0	1002 of 2029	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.0	691 of 1984	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.4	581 of 1985	70.7%	★★★★☆
2010	66.0	675 of 1919	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.4	654 of 1847	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.8	537 of 1789	70.0%	★★★★☆
2007	67.5	602 of 1786	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	68.4	540 of 1688	68.0%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Science62%~ state avg

Math59%-5 vs state

English Language Arts58%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Sugar Mill 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
Sugar Mill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1101 Charles St	Port Orange	32129	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 756-7130	526	37	14.2	60.8%	374 (71.1%)	36 (6.8%)	63 (12.0%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (8.2%)	47.5	1212^th of 2240 public elementary schools	45.9%		51.3	1083^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	52.0%	129	59.0	54.0	62.0	64.0	57.0	57.0	62.0	$11,490	$833	$10,656
Port Orange Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	402 Dunlawton Ave	Port Orange	32127	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 756-7100	346	24	14.4	59.8%	251 (72.5%)	16 (4.6%)	37 (10.7%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.0%)	73.8	535^th of 2240 public elementary schools	76.1%		77.1	469^th of 2258 public elementary schools	79.2%	66	69.0	64.0	68.0	77.0	74.0	69.0	84.0	$10,794	$409	$10,385
South Daytona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Elizabeth Pl	South Daytona	32119	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 756-7180	794	53	14.9	72.3%	321 (40.4%)	230 (29.0%)	146 (18.4%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (11.1%)	24.8	1795^th of 2240 public elementary schools	19.9%		33.1	1553^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	31.2%	242	51.0	39.0	56.0	54.0	35.0	49.0	50.0	$10,228	$1,106	$9,122
R. J. Longstreet Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2745 S Peninsula Dr	Daytona Beach	32118	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 756-7280	342	24	14.5	60.8%	214 (62.6%)	28 (8.2%)	57 (16.7%)	6 (1.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (10.2%)	53.1	1069^th of 2240 public elementary schools	52.3%		40.9	1329^th of 2258 public elementary schools	41.1%	260	74.0	58.0	57.0	74.0	58.0	52.0	63.0	$11,897	$617	$11,280
Sweetwater Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5800 Victoria Gardens Blvd	Port Orange	32127	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	No	(386) 322-7530	617	42	14.6	31.9%	483 (78.3%)	26 (4.2%)	55 (8.9%)	19 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	31 (5.0%)	92.4	85^th of 2240 public elementary schools	96.2%		91.7	112^th of 2258 public elementary schools	95.0%	27	85.0	88.0	73.0	91.0	90.0	90.0	85.0	$11,178	$545	$10,633
Spruce Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	642 Taylor Rd	Port Orange	32127	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 322-6200	726	52	13.9	49.2%	508 (70.0%)	30 (4.1%)	101 (13.9%)	37 (5.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (6.3%)	80.7	372^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	83.4%		78.5	440^th of 2258 public elementary schools	80.5%	68	75.0	70.0	73.0	78.0	81.0	77.0	75.0	$12,401	$1,026	$11,373
Horizon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4751 Hidden Lake Dr	Port Orange	32129	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 756-7150	618	48	12.8	51.3%	359 (58.1%)	108 (17.5%)	80 (12.9%)	22 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.9%)	72.7	558^th of 2240 public elementary schools	75.1%		71.8	586^th of 2258 public elementary schools	74.0%	28	76.0	57.0	73.0	76.0	68.0	74.0	76.0	$12,301	$1,043	$11,259
Turie T. Small Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	800 South St	Daytona Beach	32114	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 239-6340	597	31	19.2	91.0%	36 (6.0%)	437 (73.2%)	72 (12.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (8.0%)	10.7	2130^th of 2240 public elementary schools	4.9%		13.5	2067^th of 2258 public elementary schools	8.5%	63	26.0	21.0	47.0	32.0	35.0	45.0	42.0	$9,913	$1,015	$8,899
DME Academy	Private, Nonsectarian	9-12	2441 Bellevue Ave	Daytona Beach	32114	Volusia County		(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(386) 271-3378																			(n/a)
Cypress Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6100 S Williamson Blvd	Port Orange	32128	Volusia County	Volusia	No	No	No	No	(386) 322-5162	761	46	16.5	31.7%	554 (72.8%)	49 (6.4%)	63 (8.3%)	48 (6.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.0%)	81.1	358^th of 2240 public elementary schools	84.0%		82.1	364^th of 2258 public elementary schools	83.9%	6	74.0	70.0	77.0	80.0	78.0	75.0	76.0	$10,662	$592	$10,071

Frequently Asked Questions about Sugar Mill Elementary School

What district is Sugar Mill Elementary School in?

Volusia

Is Sugar Mill Elementary School a good school?

Sugar Mill Elementary School ranks 1212^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sugar Mill Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 526 students attended Sugar Mill Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Sugar Mill Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sugar Mill Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Silver Sands Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Sugar Mill Elementary School?

Students at Sugar Mill Elementary School are 71% White, 12% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 7% African American, 2% Asian.

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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.