Virgil Mills Elementary School

Summary:

Virgil Mills Elementary School is a public elementary school in Palmetto, Florida, serving 818 students in grades PK-5. As part of the Manatee School District, which is ranked 34 out of 68 districts in the state, Virgil Mills consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic achievement.

Virgil Mills Elementary has a diverse student population, with 63.33% White, 19.93% Hispanic, 7.7% African American, and 3.3% Asian students. This diversity is higher than many nearby schools, such as Manatee Elementary and Just For Girls Elementary, which tend to have more homogeneous student populations. The school's commitment to investing in resources and programs is evident in its steady increase in spending per student, from $9,175 in 2019-2020 to $10,454 in 2022-2023.

While Virgil Mills Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in academic achievement, with 68% of 3rd graders, 66% of 4th graders, and 58% of 5th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, the school has seen a concerning rise in chronic absenteeism, from 6.8% in 2019-2020 to 19.2% in 2022-2023. This is higher than the state average and some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Freedom Elementary and Barbara A. Harvey Elementary. Nevertheless, Virgil Mills Elementary has maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for several years, ranking in the top half of Florida elementary schools, a testament to the school's effective teaching practices, strong leadership, and engaged community.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 7200 69th St E
       Palmetto, FL  34221


(941) 721-2140

District: Manatee

SchoolDigger Rank:
629th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,454 Help


Students who attend Virgil Mills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Buffalo Creek Middle School
High:    Palmetto High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.7 Help
Number of students:  818

Racial breakdown:

White:
63.3%
Hispanic:
19.9%
African American:
7.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  43.3% Help


 See top rated Florida elementary schools

 Compare Virgil Mills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Virgil Mills Elementary School ranks better than 72.1% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 14th among 41 ranked elementary schools in the Manatee School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.46. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (63.3%), Hispanic (19.9%), African American (7.7%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 43.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Virgil Mills Elementary School is 15.7. 30 elementary schools in the Manatee School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Virgil Mills Elementary School employs 52 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Virgil Mills Elementary School is $10,454. 33 elementary schools in the Manatee School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Virgil Mills Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Manatee:

SchoolDigger ranks Manatee 34th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Virgil Mills Elementary School?

Rank History for Virgil Mills Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 60.22 738th 1786 58.7%
2008 63.45 675th 1789 62.3%
2009 67.13 606th 1847 67.2%
2010 63.92 731st 1919 61.9%
2011 73.17 519th 1985 73.9%
2012 69.51 588th 1984 70.4%
2013 73.16 493rd 2029 75.7%
2014 75.88 442nd 2064 78.6%
2016 75.41 482nd 2087 76.9%
2017 69.68 622nd 2112 70.5%
2018 71.06 583rd 2118 72.5%
2019 72.82 570th 2182 73.9%
2021 79.05 449th 2247 80.0%
2022 75.75 506th 2219 77.2%
2023 71.96 585th 2240 73.9%
2024 70.46 629th 2256 72.1%
See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Virgil Mills Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Virgil Mills Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 554 33 5 82 0 n/a n/a 0 674
2006 757 56 15 120 0 n/a n/a 0 948
2007 764 82 27 115 0 n/a n/a 51 1039
2008 634 68 23 127 1 n/a n/a 57 910
2009 641 101 26 149 0 n/a n/a 58 975
2010 642 98 26 166 0 n/a n/a 51 983
2011 704 82 28 174 0 1 31 0 1020
2012 672 97 32 192 0 1 38 0 1032
2013 668 88 23 211 3 1 37 0 1031
2014 688 97 20 218 5 3 38 0 1069
2015 758 90 30 236 1 3 42 0 1160
2016 767 103 28 233 1 1 50 0 1183
2017 766 106 33 242 1 0 52 0 1200
2018 788 101 44 235 1 0 63 0 1232
2019 782 103 43 233 2 1 67 0 1231
2020 586 67 29 167 1 1 51 0 902
2021 520 59 29 157 1 0 51 0 817
2022 492 70 24 145 1 0 39 0 771
2023 518 63 27 163 3 0 44 0 818

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Virgil Mills Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 674 37.0 18.2 5.3
2006 948 49.0 19.3 24.5
2007 1039 62.0 16.8 24.3
2008 910 51.0 17.8 29.7
2009 975 59.0 17.4 33.2
2010 983 55.0 17.8 36.3
2011 1020 58.0 17.5 34
2012 1032 58.0 17.7 38.1
2013 1031 61.0 16.9 40.1
2014 1069 58.0 18.4 43.9
2015 1160 66.0 17.5 42.5
2016 1183 73.0 16.2 44.7
2017 1200 74.0 16.2 42.1
2018 1232 76.0 16.2 39.8
2019 1231 72.0 17.0 37.5
2020 902 59.0 15.2 37.6
2021 817 52.0 15.7 43.6
2022 771 50.0 15.4 34.6
2023 818 52.0 15.7 43.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Virgil Mills Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 674 37.0 18.2 5.3
2006 948 49.0 19.3 24.5
2007 1039 62.0 16.8 24.3
2008 910 51.0 17.8 29.7
2009 975 59.0 17.4 33.2
2010 983 55.0 17.8 36.3
2011 1020 58.0 17.5 34
2012 1032 58.0 17.7 38.1
2013 1031 61.0 16.9 40.1
2014 1069 58.0 18.4 43.9
2015 1160 66.0 17.5 42.5
2016 1183 73.0 16.2 44.7
2017 1200 74.0 16.2 42.1
2018 1232 76.0 16.2 39.8
2019 1231 72.0 17.0 37.5
2020 902 59.0 15.2 37.6
2021 817 52.0 15.7 43.6
2022 771 50.0 15.4 34.6
2023 818 52.0 15.7 43.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Virgil Mills Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $209 (3.0%) $6,753 (97.0%) $6,962
2019 $307 (3.9%) $7,633 (96.1%) $7,940
2020 $350 (3.8%) $8,824 (96.2%) $9,175
2021 $545 (5.9%) $8,702 (94.1%) $9,247
2022 $1,216 (11.9%) $9,009 (88.1%) $10,225
2023 $1,059 (10.1%) $9,396 (89.9%) $10,454

Data source: Florida Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Virgil Mills Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 570th of 2182 Elementary schoolsRanks 585th of 2240 Elementary schools
 0%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Virgil Mills Elementary School)7067
 3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)5146
 5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5853
 5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virgil Mills Elementary School)7470
 4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Manatee)6059
 1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)6258
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Virgil Mills Elementary School)6955
 14%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)5655
 1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5857
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virgil Mills Elementary School)7672
 4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Manatee)6565
   4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6461
 3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Virgil Mills Elementary School)6567
 2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)5257
 5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5655
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virgil Mills Elementary School)6579
 14%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Manatee)6063
 3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6052
 8%
5th Grade Science (Virgil Mills Elementary School)5855
 3%
   5th Grade Science (Manatee)4849
 1%
   5th Grade Science (Florida)5351
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1231818
 33.5%
African American10363
 38.8%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian4327
 37.2%
Hispanic233163
 30%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White782518
 33.8%
Two or More Races6744
 34.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients37.5%43.3%
 5.7%


Schools Near Virgil Mills Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Virgil Mills Elementary School

Virgil Mills Elementary School ranks 629th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 818 students attended Virgil Mills Elementary School.

Students at Virgil Mills Elementary School are 63% White, 20% Hispanic, 8% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Students who attend Virgil Mills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Buffalo Creek Middle School
High : Palmetto High School


Rate Virgil Mills Elementary School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Virgil Mills Elementary School!




SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 160 milliseconds.