Enrollment
193
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sarasota, FL
Sarasota Academy of the Arts
Federal NCES profile for Sarasota Academy of the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120168008202Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 81
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sarasota Academy of the Arts earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Sarasota · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.9:1
- small classes for Florida
- 47.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sarasota Academy of the Arts has class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sarasota Academy of the Arts ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Sarasota, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sarasota Academy of the Arts compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sarasota Academy of the Arts
Sarasota Academy of the Arts is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Sarasota, Florida, enrolling 193 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.9:1, Sarasota Academy of the Arts is leaner than roughly 85% of Florida schools and 28% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.4% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 193 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 77 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 97 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Sarasota also operates Riverview High School (2,637 students) and Venice Senior High School (2,579 students) alongside Sarasota Academy of the Arts.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Sarasota Academy of the Arts compares
Sarasota Academy of the Arts on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▼ 28% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.4% | ▼ 9% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 193 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
193
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 15% in Florida - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,753
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 97 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 48.7%
Hispanic or Latino 37.3%
Two or More 9.3%
African American 2.6%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.4, Sarasota Academy of the Arts is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sarasota, which includes Sarasota Academy of the Arts.
$12,753
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.1%
State 11.5%
Federal 11.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Sarasota Academy of the Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Port High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sarasota High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine View School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sarasota Academy of the Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,637
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,579
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,359
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,752
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~193 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sarasota Academy of the Arts's federal record.
- Compare Sarasota Academy of the Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Sarasota's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Sarasota Academy of the Arts
How many students attend Sarasota Academy of the Arts?
Sarasota Academy of the Arts has 193 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sarasota, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sarasota Academy of the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Sarasota Academy of the Arts is 12.9:1, which is 28% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sarasota Academy of the Arts?
47.4% of students at Sarasota Academy of the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sarasota Academy of the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Sarasota Academy of the Arts is White at 48.7% of enrollment, in Sarasota, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sarasota Academy of the Arts?
Sarasota Academy of the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sarasota Academy of the Arts rank among elementary schools in Sarasota?
By Resource Investment Index, Sarasota Academy of the Arts ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Sarasota, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Sarasota on the city page.
Is Sarasota Academy of the Arts a good school?
Sarasota Academy of the Arts earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Sarasota?
Besides Sarasota Academy of the Arts, Sarasota also operates Riverview High School (2,637 students), Venice Senior High School (2,579 students), and North Port High School (2,557 students). See the Sarasota district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.