Total enrollment
45,253
+2,347 (+5%) vs SY 2017-18
Sarasota County
Florida · Public K-12
Sarasota County reports 63 public K-12 schools to NCES, against a population of 459,547, with an average school size of 718 students. That works out to 35 elementary, 11 middle, and 11 high schools.
7-year change in Sarasota County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
61
+3 (+5%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
59%
was 63%
% Hispanic
25%
was 20%
% Black
7%
was 9%
% Asian
3%
was 3%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
459,547
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
63
2 districts
Enrollment
45,253
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$83,416
Above Florida avg
Free/reduced lunch
44.3%
Below Florida avg
Elementary
35
20,380 students
Middle
11
7,930 students
High
11
13,637 students
Combined / other
6
3,306 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
SARASOTA
45,246 students · 2 districts in Sarasota County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Sarasota County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
40.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.7%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.7%
civilian labor
Median age
57
14.0% under 18
Test scores in Sarasota County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 53 schools ranked. Florida state average: 57.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- PINE VIEW SCHOOL· 99.3%
- SUNCOAST POLYTECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL· 88.5%
- SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL· 85.5%
- SARASOTA MIDDLE SCHOOL· 80.0%
- LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL· 79.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- SARASOTA VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAM· 38.6%
- GOCIO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL· 40.4%
- DREAMERS ACADEMY· 40.4%
- WILKINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL· 40.8%
- BOOKER MIDDLE SCHOOL· 43.7%
Cities in Sarasota County
About Sarasota County
Sarasota County is a large Florida county of about 459,547 residents, home to 63 public schools and roughly 45,253 students.
Zooming out, census numbers show median household income runs near $83,416, 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 6%. That income level is 22% noticeably above the Florida median.
On the school-mix side, Sarasota County consists of 35 elementary schools (20,380 students), 11 middle schools (7,930), 11 high schools (13,637), and 6 combined or other schools.
SARASOTA is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 45,246 students across Sarasota County.
Five-year track record. Combined enrollment now sits at 45,253 students, grew 5% from the 42,906 reported in SY 2017-18. Over that span, Sarasota County gained 3 schools, going from 58 to 61. On the demographic side, Hispanic enrollment moved from 20% to 25% over the same window.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Sarasota County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Sarasota County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data