Sarasota High School

Q: Is Sarasota High School a good school?

Sarasota High School ranks 310 th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sarasota High School is a public high school serving 2,528 students in grades 9-12 in Sarasota, Florida, which is part of the highly-ranked Sarasota School District. This diverse school has consistently performed well, ranking in the top half of Florida high schools and maintaining a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sarasota High School stands out for its strong academic metrics, including high 4-year graduation rates (85.6% to 92.1%) and impressive proficiency rates on state assessments that exceed the state and district averages in most subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, the school had 76% proficiency in Biology 1 EOC and 74% proficiency in US History EOC, compared to state averages of 67% and 68% respectively. However, the school has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism, from 9.2% in 2019-2020 to 24.3% in 2022-2023, though this rate is still lower than some nearby schools like Booker High School (26.0%) and Triad (74.1%).

Compared to nearby schools, Sarasota High School has a more racially diverse student population, with 57.24% White, 6.13% African American, and 29.91% Hispanic students. It also has a relatively high percentage of students (43.12%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, higher than Riverview High School (35.27%) and Suncoast Polytechnical High School (37.09%), but lower than Booker High School (67.91%) and Triad (87.93%). While Sarasota High School performs well overall, some nearby schools like State College of Florida Collegiate School have even stronger academic performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2155 Bahia Vista St
Sarasota, FL 34239

(941) 955-0181

District: Sarasota

SchoolDigger Rank:
310^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,393

Feeder schools for Sarasota High School:

Elementary:	Alta Vista Elementary School
	Brentwood Elementary School
	Fruitville Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.2

Number of students: 2,509

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.5%

Hispanic:

31.3%

African American:

6.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.7%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Sarasota High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sarasota High School ranks better than 61.6% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 5^th among 9 ranked high schools in the Sarasota School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.23. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sarasota High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 (55.5%), Hispanic (31.3%), African American (6.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sarasota High School is 20.2. 6 high schools in the Sarasota School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sarasota High School employs 124 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sarasota High School is $10,393. 6 high schools in the Sarasota School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sarasota High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Sarasota High School 310^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Sarasota High School in the ranking list.)

Sarasota:

SchoolDigger ranks Sarasota 8^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sarasota High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	73.33	117^th	484	75.8%
2005	72.59	124^th	487	74.5%
2006	74.52	102^nd	477	78.6%
2007	70.65	151^st	563	73.2%
2008	68.49	166^th	577	71.2%
2009	69.12	164^th	587	72.1%
2010	71.25	165^th	620	73.4%
2011	69.22	185^th	622	70.3%
2012	61.10	154^th	606	74.6%
2013	62.90	177^th	648	72.7%
2014	61.51	217^th	687	68.4%
2016	63.33	160^th	693	76.9%
2017	58.38	193^rd	714	73.0%
2018	61.49	179^th	716	75.0%
2019	57.43	215^th	734	70.7%
2021	62.01	169^th	746	77.3%
2022	56.46	219^th	774	71.7%
2023	56.39	226^th	792	71.5%
2024	49.23	310^th	807	61.6%

See the entire list of Florida High 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%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Sarasota High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	2142	253	43	72	0	n/a	n/a	0	2510
1989	2014	259	34	69	1	n/a	n/a	0	2377
1990	1886	270	44	85	1	n/a	n/a	0	2286
1991	1866	255	32	127	0	n/a	n/a	0	2280
1992	1785	226	24	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	2123
1993	1653	221	21	79	0	n/a	n/a	0	1974
1994	1565	209	14	68	0	n/a	n/a	0	1856
1995	1768	201	24	68	3	n/a	n/a	0	2064
1996	1768	201	24	68	3	n/a	n/a	0	2064
1997	1703	190	19	64	4	n/a	n/a	0	1980
1998	1673	165	21	84	5	n/a	n/a	0	1948
1999	1771	164	21	91	4	n/a	n/a	0	2051
2000	1917	168	25	110	6	n/a	n/a	0	2226
2001	2109	152	30	141	6	n/a	n/a	0	2438
2002	2212	139	50	200	6	n/a	n/a	0	2607
2003	2212	139	50	200	6	n/a	n/a	0	2607
2004	2174	146	54	245	7	n/a	n/a	0	2626
2005	2160	154	54	267	5	n/a	n/a	0	2640
2006	2151	169	51	288	6	n/a	n/a	0	2665
2007	2091	157	51	305	7	n/a	n/a	51	2662
2008	1954	148	43	316	8	n/a	n/a	62	2531
2009	1768	137	36	338	6	n/a	n/a	86	2371
2010	1616	144	40	340	8	n/a	n/a	86	2234
2011	1362	146	33	380	8	0	64	0	1993
2012	1282	147	39	417	10	0	69	0	1964
2013	1233	180	44	418	10	0	80	0	1965
2014	1229	185	41	466	12	1	82	0	2016
2015	1266	201	43	503	9	0	88	0	2110
2016	1267	165	47	512	8	1	89	0	2089
2017	1307	160	52	508	7	0	94	0	2128
2018	1279	160	51	514	7	1	105	0	2117
2019	1301	143	54	535	4	1	104	0	2142
2020	1319	145	50	559	4	2	100	0	2179
2021	1387	126	48	629	3	1	114	0	2308
2022	1465	150	56	716	6	1	114	0	2508
2023	1447	155	50	756	4	2	114	0	2528
2024	1393	153	44	786	2	2	129	0	2509

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 Sarasota High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2510	135.0	18.5	9.2
1989	2377	130.0	18.2	8.8
1990	2286	125.0	18.2	9.2
1991	2280	124.0	18.3	15
1992	2123	118.0	17.9	5.3
1993	1974	96.0	20.6	11.1
1994	1856	91.0	20.4	12.1
1995	2064	95.0	21.7	15.8
1996	2064	95.0	21.7	15.8
1997	1980	99.0	20.0	15.1
1998	1948	94.0	20.7	16.2
1999	2051	102.0	20.1	22.7
2000	2226	107.0	20.8	23.1
2001	2438	103.0	23.7	22.8
2002	2607	125.0	20.9	18.4
2003	2607	125.0	20.9	18.4
2004	2626	132.0	19.9	19.5
2005	2640	147.0	18.0	25.6
2006	2665	154.0	17.3	17.5
2007	2662	142.0	18.7	25.9
2008	2531	136.0	18.6	23
2009	2371	133.0	17.8	30.3
2010	2234	113.0	19.7	37.2
2011	1993	107.6	18.5	41.5
2012	1964	99.0	19.8	43.8
2013	1965	101.0	19.4	48.4
2014	2016	105.0	19.2	46.8
2015	2110	106.0	19.9	48.5
2016	2089	103.0	20.2	45.7
2017	2128	107.0	19.8	42.2
2018	2117	108.0	19.6	51
2019	2142	106.0	20.1	44.8
2020	2179	107.0	20.3	39.1
2021	2308	107.6	21.4	42.2
2022	2508	125.0	20.0	43.5
2023	2528	128.6	19.6	43.1
2024	2509	124.0	20.2	42.7

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 Sarasota High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2510	135.0	18.5	9.2
1989	2377	130.0	18.2	8.8
1990	2286	125.0	18.2	9.2
1991	2280	124.0	18.3	15
1992	2123	118.0	17.9	5.3
1993	1974	96.0	20.6	11.1
1994	1856	91.0	20.4	12.1
1995	2064	95.0	21.7	15.8
1996	2064	95.0	21.7	15.8
1997	1980	99.0	20.0	15.1
1998	1948	94.0	20.7	16.2
1999	2051	102.0	20.1	22.7
2000	2226	107.0	20.8	23.1
2001	2438	103.0	23.7	22.8
2002	2607	125.0	20.9	18.4
2003	2607	125.0	20.9	18.4
2004	2626	132.0	19.9	19.5
2005	2640	147.0	18.0	25.6
2006	2665	154.0	17.3	17.5
2007	2662	142.0	18.7	25.9
2008	2531	136.0	18.6	23
2009	2371	133.0	17.8	30.3
2010	2234	113.0	19.7	37.2
2011	1993	107.6	18.5	41.5
2012	1964	99.0	19.8	43.8
2013	1965	101.0	19.4	48.4
2014	2016	105.0	19.2	46.8
2015	2110	106.0	19.9	48.5
2016	2089	103.0	20.2	45.7
2017	2128	107.0	19.8	42.2
2018	2117	108.0	19.6	51
2019	2142	106.0	20.1	44.8
2020	2179	107.0	20.3	39.1
2021	2308	107.6	21.4	42.2
2022	2508	125.0	20.0	43.5
2023	2528	128.6	19.6	43.1
2024	2509	124.0	20.2	42.7

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 Sarasota High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$242 (2.8%)	$8,370 (97.2%)	$8,612
2019	$228 (2.6%)	$8,521 (97.4%)	$8,749
2020	$211 (2.3%)	$8,912 (97.7%)	$9,124
2021	$427 (4.7%)	$8,615 (95.3%)	$9,043
2022	$373 (4.0%)	$8,942 (96.0%)	$9,316
2023	$533 (5.1%)	$9,860 (94.9%)	$10,393

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sarasota High 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 215^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 226^th of 792 High schools	0.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Sarasota High School)	62	59	3%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Sarasota)	65	63	2%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Sarasota High School)	59	47	12%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Sarasota)	63	56	7%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Sarasota High School)	71	76	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Sarasota)	77	72	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Sarasota High School)	78	77	1%
End of Course US History (Sarasota)	78	72	6%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Sarasota High School)	36	44	8%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Sarasota)	73	69	4%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Sarasota High School)	65	56	9%
End of Course Geometry (Sarasota)	70	64	6%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2142	2528	18%
African American	143	155	8.4%
American Indian	4	4
Asian	54	50	7.4%
Hispanic	535	756	41.3%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	1301	1447	11.2%
Two or More Races	104	114	9.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44.8%	43.1%	1.7%

Schools Near Sarasota High 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 Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (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 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sarasota High School	Public	9-12	2155 Bahia Vista St	Sarasota	34239	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 955-0181	2,509	124	20.2	42.7%	1,393 (55.5%)	153 (6.1%)	786 (31.3%)	44 (1.8%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	129 (5.1%)	49.2	310^th of 807 public high schools	61.6%		56.4	226^th of 792 public high schools	71.5%	84				47.0	51.0					24.0	48.0	76.0	74.0		$10,393	$533	$9,860
Sarasota Military Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	801 N Orange Ave	Sarasota	34236	Sarasota County	Sarasota	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 926-1700	1,099	76	14.4	53.1%	496 (45.1%)	62 (5.6%)	458 (41.7%)	23 (2.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (5.3%)	48.9	316^th of 807 public high schools	60.8%		59.1	207^th of 792 public high schools	73.9%	109	47.0	37.0	45.0	48.0	52.0	46.0	39.0	45.0	44.0	38.0	51.0	55.0	79.0	72.0	$10,398	$696	$9,703
Sarasota County Acceleration Academies	Public	9-12	935 N Beneva Rd	Sarasota	34232	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 315-2122	94	3	31.3	3.2%	42 (44.7%)	15 (16.0%)	32 (34.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.3%)								(n/a)													38.0		$7,319	$00	$7,319
Triad	Public	6-12	4430 Beneva Rd	Sarasota	34233	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 361-6752	115	9	12.7	88.7%	30 (26.1%)	48 (41.7%)	26 (22.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.7%)	4.1	736^th of 807 public high schools	8.8%		2.7	767^th of 792 public high schools	3.2%	31		0.0	10.0	4.0	13.0		9.0	4.0	12.0	0.0		22.0		32.0	$19,257	$1,856	$17,401
Riverview High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1 Ram Way	Sarasota	34231	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	Yes	No	No	(941) 923-1484	2,681	131	20.4	35.1%	1,651 (61.6%)	154 (5.7%)	633 (23.6%)	96 (3.6%)	1 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	145 (5.4%)	63.4	185^th of 807 public high schools	77.1%		63.3	178^th of 792 public high schools	77.5%	7				62.0	62.0					35.0	72.0	74.0	77.0		$11,065	$605	$10,460
Booker High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3201 N Orange Ave	Sarasota	34234	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	Yes	No	No	(941) 355-2967	1,395	73	19.0	68.2%	294 (21.1%)	326 (23.4%)	655 (47.0%)	20 (1.4%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (6.9%)	34.8	478^th of 807 public high schools	40.8%		33.6	464^th of 792 public high schools	41.4%	14				40.0	39.0					28.0	37.0	60.0	66.0		$12,879	$725	$12,153
Suncoast Polytechnical High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	4650 Beneva Rd	Sarasota	34233	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	Yes	No	No	(941) 921-3981	566	29	19.5	36.9%	368 (65.0%)	11 (1.9%)	147 (26.0%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.5%)	91.7	13^th of 807 public high schools	98.4%		90.3	22^nd of 792 public high schools	97.2%	9				91.0	95.0					78.0	96.0	98.0	99.0		$10,428	$685	$9,743
Suncoast Technical College	Public	12	4748 Beneva Rd	Sarasota	34233	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 924-1365	0	30	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Amikids Manatee	Public	6-12	6423 9th St E	Bradenton	34203	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 723-4702	40	3	13.3	92.5%	5 (12.5%)	16 (40.0%)	15 (37.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.0%)								(n/a)
State College Of Florida Collegiate School	Public, Charter	6-12	5840 26th St W	Bradenton	34207	Manatee County	Manatee	Yes	No	No	No	(941) 752-5491	485	20	24.2	45.6%	237 (48.9%)	41 (8.5%)	161 (33.2%)	25 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	89.5	23^rd of 807 public high schools	97.1%		83.1	56^th of 792 public high schools	92.9%	33	80.0	80.0	67.0	79.0	82.0	81.0	90.0	79.0	68.0	95.0	97.0	96.0		97.0	$8,708	$577	$8,131

Frequently Asked Questions about Sarasota High School

What schools feed into Sarasota High School?

Sarasota High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alta Vista Elementary School
Elementary : Brentwood Elementary School
Elementary : Fruitville Elementary School

Is Sarasota High School a good school?

Sarasota High School ranks 310^th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sarasota High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,509 students attended Sarasota High School.

What district is Sarasota High School in?

Sarasota

What is the racial makeup of Sarasota High School?

Students at Sarasota High School are 56% White, 31% Hispanic, 6% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.