SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Set in SARASOTA, Florida, SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a mid-sized K-5 school, one of the schools within SARASOTA. It teaches 696 students across grades K through 5.

SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 60 schools operated by SARASOTA, a district that enrolls 45,246 students overall.

In terms of who attends, SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL records that the largest single group is White, at 76% of enrollment. Other groups include 13% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 3% Black, 2% Asian.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 46 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.5:1, putting SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 22% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Sarasota County (around 44%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 70.1%; this one delivers 89.2%, a residual of +19.1 points.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Sarasota County indicate median household earnings sit near $83,416, 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Sarasota County runs 63 public schools (combined enrollment of about 45,253 students), of which SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one.

Nearest neighbor: BROOKSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL, around 0.7 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 56.0%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has shrank 9%, going from 767 students in 2018 to 696 in 2025. Class-load math has rose: from 13.9:1 in 2018 to 15.1:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL typically covers classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.