Virgil Mills Elementary School

Q: Is Virgil Mills Elementary School a good school?

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

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:
629^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,454

Students who attend Virgil Mills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Buffalo Creek Middle School
High:	Palmetto High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 818

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.3%

Hispanic:

19.9%

African American:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Virgil Mills Elementary School ranks better than 72.1% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 14^th among 41 ranked elementary schools in the Manatee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.46. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (63.3%), Hispanic (19.9%), African American (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

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...)

Compare Virgil Mills Elementary School employs 52 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 34^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Virgil Mills Elementary School

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

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Virgil Mills Elementary School

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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

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

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 570^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 585^th 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)	70	67	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)	51	46	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virgil Mills Elementary School)	74	70	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Manatee)	60	59	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Virgil Mills Elementary School)	69	55	14%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)	56	55	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virgil Mills Elementary School)	76	72	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Manatee)	65	65
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Virgil Mills Elementary School)	65	67	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)	52	57	5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virgil Mills Elementary School)	65	79	14%
5th Grade Mathematics (Manatee)	60	63	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Virgil Mills Elementary School)	58	55	3%
5th Grade Science (Manatee)	48	49	1%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1231	818	33.5%
African American	103	63	38.8%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	43	27	37.2%
Hispanic	233	163	30%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	782	518	33.8%
Two or More Races	67	44	34.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.5%	43.3%	5.7%

Schools Near Virgil Mills Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)						FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Virgil Mills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7200 69th St E	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 721-2140	818	52	15.7	43.3%	518 (63.3%)	63 (7.7%)	163 (19.9%)	27 (3.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.4%)	70.5	629^th of 2256 public elementary schools	72.1%		72	585^th of 2240 public elementary schools	73.9%	44	68.0	66.0	58.0				70.0	69.0	62.0				54.0					$10,454	$1,059	$9,396
Parrish Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	8605 Erie Rd	Parrish	34219	Manatee County	Manatee	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 545-6380	565	36	15.6	25.0%	417 (73.8%)	23 (4.1%)	78 (13.8%)	22 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.2%)	43	1266^th of 2256 public elementary schools	43.9%		45.9	1190^th of 2240 public elementary schools	46.9%	76	57.0	43.0	37.0	64.0	59.0		68.0	48.0	40.0	59.0	78.0		35.0				76.0	$11,880	$29	$11,851
Imagine Charter School At North Manatee	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	9275 49th Ave E	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 981-5345	682	44	15.5	54.4%	311 (45.6%)	109 (16.0%)	217 (31.8%)	13 (1.9%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (3.5%)	32.3	1551^st of 2256 public elementary schools	31.3%		41.2	1298^th of 2240 public elementary schools	42.1%	253	44.0	42.0	48.0	42.0	52.0	47.0	68.0	47.0	38.0	46.0	48.0	24.0	30.0	39.0	78.0	100.0	73.0	$8,865	$358	$8,507
Barbara A Harvey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8610 115th Ave E	Parrish	34219	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 803-9340	1,069	59	18.1	33.1%	732 (68.5%)	69 (6.5%)	180 (16.8%)	17 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (6.5%)	68.4	677^th of 2256 public elementary schools	70.0%		74.9	510^th of 2240 public elementary schools	77.2%	167	57.0	56.0	65.0				63.0	67.0	75.0				63.0					$8,564	$766	$7,798
Blackburn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3904 17th St E	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 723-4800	551	42	13.2	78.2%	137 (24.9%)	136 (24.7%)	241 (43.7%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.1%)	25.5	1753^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	22.3%		34.1	1492^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	33.4%	261	38.0	40.0	36.0				57.0	42.0	46.0				28.0					$13,714	$2,320	$11,394
Palm View K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	6025 Bayshore Rd	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 723-4812	653	51	12.8	77.0%	157 (24.0%)	120 (18.4%)	335 (51.3%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (4.9%)	30.3	1609^th of 2256 public elementary schools	28.7%		30	1608^th of 2240 public elementary schools	28.2%	1	39.0	33.0	36.0	46.0	39.0	43.0	60.0	49.0	45.0	57.0	68.0	44.0	31.0	28.0	92.0		64.0	$14,041	$2,878	$11,164
James Tillman Elementary Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1415 29th St E	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	No	Yes	No	Yes	(941) 723-4833	520	31	16.7	74.0%	101 (19.4%)	156 (30.0%)	219 (42.1%)	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.5%)	50.5	1081^st of 2256 public elementary schools	52.1%		50.2	1093^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	51.2%	12	39.0	48.0	40.0				72.0	72.0	69.0				45.0					$11,893	$2,243	$9,650
Annie Lucy Williams Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3404 Fort Hamer Rd	Parrish	34219	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 776-4040	798	49	16.2	31.0%	563 (70.6%)	53 (6.6%)	122 (15.3%)	12 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.0%)	79	438^th of 2256 public elementary schools	80.6%		76.9	468^th of 2240 public elementary schools	79.1%	30	71.0	69.0	65.0				81.0	73.0	67.0				56.0					$10,697	$1,240	$9,456
Hola! Elementary @ Msa	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	700 Haben Blvd	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(941) 708-8770	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	47.0	37.0	43.0				58.0	60.0	53.0				37.0
Freedom Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9515 E State Road 64	Bradenton	34212	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 708-4990	574	45	12.7	41.5%	352 (61.3%)	22 (3.8%)	123 (21.4%)	25 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (9.1%)	82.2	354^th of 2256 public elementary schools	84.3%		87.3	238^th of 2240 public elementary schools	89.4%	116	59.0	70.0	74.0				73.0	77.0	81.0				72.0					$12,879	$1,220	$11,659

Frequently Asked Questions about Virgil Mills Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of 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.

How many students attend Virgil Mills Elementary School?

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

Is Virgil Mills Elementary School a good school?

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

What schools do graduates of Virgil Mills Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Buffalo Creek Middle School
High : Palmetto High School

What district is Virgil Mills Elementary School in?

Manatee

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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.