Summary:
Zip code 34286 in North Port, Florida, is served by two public elementary schools, Lamarque Elementary School and Cranberry Elementary School, both part of the highly-rated Sarasota County School District, which ranks in the 87th percentile statewide.
Cranberry Elementary School stands out as the stronger academic performer in the area. It consistently achieves higher proficiency rates in both math (73%) and English Language Arts (64%) compared to Lamarque Elementary School (63.3% and 56%, respectively). Cranberry also holds a 4-star rating and a state ranking in the 70th percentile, while Lamarque has dropped to a 2-star rating and the 49th percentile. This performance gap is notable because Cranberry serves a slightly higher percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds (66.17% free/reduced lunch) than Lamarque (64%), suggesting it is effectively overcoming socioeconomic challenges. A key differentiator is chronic absenteeism: Lamarque has a rate of 27.5%, significantly higher than Cranberry's 20.2%, which aligns with the district average and likely contributes to the academic disparities.
Both schools demonstrate a relative strength in mathematics over English Language Arts, with math proficiency outpacing ELA by 7 to 9 percentage points. Spending per student is high at both schools—$17,128 at Lamarque and $17,607 at Cranberry—well above the state average, but this investment does not directly correlate with performance, as Lamarque's higher spending has not prevented its declining trend. For parents, Cranberry Elementary School offers the strongest academic outcomes and lower absenteeism, while Lamarque Elementary School provides a larger student body but faces challenges with declining rankings and higher chronic absenteeism.
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