These Are The Best Elementary, Middle Schools In FL, New Ranking Says

FLORIDA — Multiple elementary schools and middle schools in Florida — including some Tampa Bay area schools — are included among the best in the country, according to new rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on student proficiency in core subject areas.

In Florida, the top 10 elementary schools are:

1. Jacksonville Beach Elementary School, Duval County Public Schools
2. Pine View School, Sarasota County Schools
3. Academy Miramar South, Broward County Public Schools
4. Orlando Gifted Academy, Orange County Public Schools
5. Morikami Park Elementary School, The School District of Palm Beach County
6. Tarpon Springs Fundamental Ele, Pinellas County Schools
7. Somerset Academy Davie Charter School, Broward County Public Schools
8. Freedom 7 Elementary School of International Studies, Brevard Public Schools
9. Henry S. West Laboratory School, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
10. The Sanibel School, Lee County School District

The top 10 middle schools in Florida are:

1. Doral Academy of Technology, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
2. Okaloosa Stemm Center, Okaloosa County School District
3. Pine View School, Sarasota County Schools
4. West Shore Junior/Senior High School, Brevard Public Schools
5. The Sanibel School, Lee County School District
6. Horizon Charter School of Tampa, Hillsborough County Public Schools
7. University Academy Sabl Inc, Bay District Schools
8. Terrace Community School, Hillsborough County Public Schools
9. Orlando Gifted Academy, Orange County Public Schools
10. Edgewood Jr/Sr High School, Brevard Public Schools

The U.S. News list includes data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide.

In the analysis, U.S. News looked closely at state assessment of students who were proficient or above-proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while also accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said the state and district-level rankings are intended to give parents a snapshot of their child’s school and how well it’s doing within its community.

“Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved,” Jones said.

To be included in district-level rankings, at least two of the top performing schools must rank in the top 75 percent of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for district-level recognition.

Related: FL's Top 20 Public High Schools Ranked By U.S. News