Summary:
Zip code 34288 in North Port, FL, is home to two elementary schools serving grades PK-5: Atwater Elementary and Toledo Blade Elementary School, both part of the highly-rated Sarasota County School District.
Toledo Blade Elementary School stands out as the higher-performing school in the area. It ranks in the 86th percentile statewide (322nd out of 2,240 schools), significantly outperforming Atwater Elementary, which ranks in the 78th percentile (504th). Toledo Blade also boasts a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (18.2% vs. 28.1%) and achieves higher proficiency in core subjects, including 5th-grade science (79% vs. 67%) and average math scores (81.3% vs. 78.7%). Notably, Toledo Blade achieves these results despite spending $1,228 less per student and having a slightly higher student-teacher ratio, suggesting highly effective instructional strategies and school culture.
Atwater Elementary shows recent improvement, jumping from the 67th to the 78th percentile in state rankings, and has a lower student-teacher ratio (16.2:1). However, it faces challenges with a higher percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (61.77% vs. 54.1%) and a chronic absenteeism rate well above the district average. While Atwater saw strong gains in some areas like 3rd-grade ELA, its performance in 5th-grade science and math has been more volatile. For families, Toledo Blade Elementary School offers a more consistent and higher-achieving academic environment with better student attendance.
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