Enrollment
96
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sarasota, FL
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies
Federal NCES profile for Suncoast School for Innovative Studies, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120168003508Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Sarasota · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8:1
- small classes for Florida
- 77.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies has class sizes smaller than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Suncoast School for Innovative Studies ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Sarasota, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-55% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Suncoast School for Innovative Studies compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Suncoast School for Innovative Studies
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies is a high-poverty, small charter elementary school in Sarasota, Florida, enrolling 96 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8:1, Suncoast School for Innovative Studies is leaner than roughly 95% of Florida schools and 55% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 77.5% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 96 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 75 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #51.
Its student body is led by African American (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 192 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.4% 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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies.
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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies compares
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8:1 | ▼ 55% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.5% | ▲ 49% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 96 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
96
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8:1
students per teacher
- 55% below state mean
Top 5% in Florida - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.4%
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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
African American 43.8%
Hispanic or Latino 34.4%
White 14.6%
Two or More 7.3%
Largest group: African American at 43.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Suncoast School for Innovative Studies is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sarasota, which includes Suncoast School for Innovative Studies.
$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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies 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 | Lower 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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies'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 (~96 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Suncoast School for Innovative Studies's federal record.
- Compare Suncoast School for Innovative Studies 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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies
How many students attend Suncoast School for Innovative Studies?
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies has 96 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sarasota, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Suncoast School for Innovative Studies?
The student-teacher ratio at Suncoast School for Innovative Studies is 8:1, which is 55% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 49% 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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies?
77.5% of students at Suncoast School for Innovative Studies are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Suncoast School for Innovative Studies?
The largest demographic group at Suncoast School for Innovative Studies is African American at 43.8% of enrollment, in Sarasota, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Suncoast School for Innovative Studies?
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies rank among elementary schools in Sarasota?
By Resource Investment Index, Suncoast School for Innovative Studies ranks #2 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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies a good school?
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Suncoast School for Innovative Studies, 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.