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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.
Sarasota, Florida - 59 schools
An equity score of 66/100 ranks Sarasota #15 of 67 districts in Florida (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,753 per pupil, Sarasota ranks #6 of 67 Florida districts by per-pupil spending (Florida districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Sarasota operates 59 public schools serving 45,077 students, placing it among the larger districts in Florida. The school portfolio breaks down into 34 combined, 11 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 Sarasota County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,753 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 7 of 67 Florida districts by per-pupil spending. See how Florida compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 77.1% local, 11.5% state, and 11.3% 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 66/100, ranked #15 of 67 in Florida against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 10 of 59 schools offering Advanced Placement (108 AP courses district-wide), a 435.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 23.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 57.5% White, 25.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bay Haven School of Basics Plus, with a diversity index of 69.6/100.
Its largest campus is Riverview High School, enrolling 2,637 students (6% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Community Haven for Adults and Children With Disabilities I, at 1 students, a 2637x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Sarasota school enrollment ranges from 1 students (lowest) to 2,637 students (highest), a spread of 2,636 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 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.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection
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 Variation between sub-units within Sarasota is typically wider than the Sarasota-aggregate figure suggests.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22
This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.
Average demographic composition across 59 schools in Sarasota.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Sarasota's schools, about the same as 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | Similar size | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| St. Lucie | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| Lake | Similar size | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| Collier | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| St. Johns | Similar size | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
Comparisons are relative to Sarasota'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.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Miami-Dade →Sarasota has 59 schools, including 8 high, 34 combined, 11 middle, 6 elementary. Total enrollment is 45,077 students.
Sarasota spends $12,753 per student. The district has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #15 in Florida.
Sarasota students are 57.5% White, 25.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% African American, 2.1% Asian, averaged across 59 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Sarasota has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #15 out of 67 districts in Florida.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.