Summary:
In zip code 34239, there is one high school, Sarasota High School, a large public school serving grades 9 through 12 with 2,359 students in the highly-rated Sarasota district.
Sarasota High School stands out for its strong academic improvement and high graduation rate. The school has moved from the 62nd percentile in state rankings (2023-2024) to the 74th percentile (2025-2026), earning a 4-star rating. Its graduation rate is an impressive 96.5%, well above both the district (94.3%) and state (92.2%) averages. The school also excels in science, with 85% of students proficient in Biology 1, outperforming the district (80%) and state (74%). However, there is a notable contrast in math performance: while Geometry proficiency jumped from 51% to 61% and 10th grade ELA from 55% to 69% year-over-year, Algebra 1 proficiency sits at just 34%—far below the district (70%) and state (63%) averages. This 51-point gap between Algebra 1 and Biology 1 highlights a critical area for improvement.
An interesting paradox exists between the school's high graduation rate and its chronic absenteeism rate of 22.4%, which is higher than the district average of 20.1% but lower than the state's 31.4%. This suggests the school effectively supports students to graduate despite attendance challenges, possibly through strong credit recovery programs. While Sarasota High School is a solid performer in an excellent district, it often performs below the district average in subjects like Algebra 1 and Geometry, indicating it is a good school within a top-tier district rather than an outlier. Overall, the school shows clear upward momentum in academics and graduation outcomes.
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