Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Bradenton, Florida - 79 schools
An equity score of 38/100 ranks Manatee #50 of 67 districts in Florida (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,381 per pupil, Manatee ranks #43 of 67 Florida districts by per-pupil spending (Florida districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Manatee operates 79 public schools serving 51,234 students, placing it among the larger districts in Florida. The school portfolio breaks down into 53 combined, 12 middle, 8 high, 6 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a sizeable portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Manatee County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,381 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 67 Florida districts by per-pupil spending. See how Florida compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 58.3% local, 25.8% state, and 15.9% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 38/100, ranked #50 of 67 in Florida against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 79 schools offering Advanced Placement (96 AP courses district-wide), a 441.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 38.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 38.5% White, 38.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is William H. Bashaw Elementary, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
Its largest campus is Lakewood Ranch High School, enrolling 2,422 students (5% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pinnacle Academy Inc., at 1 students, a 2422x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Manatee school enrollment ranges from 1 students (lowest) to 2,422 students (highest), a spread of 2,421 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.
Average demographic composition across 79 schools in Manatee.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Manatee's schools, above the Florida average of 52.3.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
The Florida districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Johns | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Collier | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| Lake | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| St. Lucie | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| Sarasota | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
Comparisons are relative to Manatee's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Miami-Dade →Manatee has 79 schools, including 8 high, 53 combined, 12 middle, 6 elementary. Total enrollment is 51,234 students.
Manatee spends $11,381 per student. The district has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #50 in Florida.
Manatee students are 38.5% White, 38.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% African American, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 79 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Manatee has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #50 out of 67 districts in Florida.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.