Can I use Manatee County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Manatee County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Manatee County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Manatee County?

Start with the 80 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Manatee County Schools & Education

Name: Manatee County, Florida Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Manatee County, Florida

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

26/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

86.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

86.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,452

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,118

School Score

26/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 36/100

State Score Position

#54

of 67 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Manatee County

Measured School Summary

Manatee County faces educational challenges with a school score of 26/100 and a graduation rate of 86.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,452 per pupil, Manatee County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 27% below the Florida average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 3.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Manatee County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

80 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

26/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #54 of 67 Florida counties with school score data.

Completion

86.0%

3.8 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,452

$334 above the state average

School coverage

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Manatee County has 80 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Manatee County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

MANATEE carries most of the listed public-school system, with 81 of 80 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#54

of 67 Florida counties with school score data. The county score is 10 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

MANATEE

Elementary to high school visible

50,482 students

Elementary 43Middle 12High 13Other 11

79 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

MANATEE is the largest listed district slice, with 81 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Manatee County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Manatee County Composite School Score Below State Average

Education data brief for Manatee County, Florida.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

The composite school score in Manatee County is 26.4, which is significantly lower than the Florida state average of 36.2 and the national median of 50.0. The county operates 80 schools with a total enrollment of 50,482 students. The largest school is Lakewood Ranch High School, which enrolls 2,435 students. The district structure includes 13 charter schools, making up 16.3% of the public school options. The graduation rate for the county is 86.0%, which is lower than both the state average of 89.8% and the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure stands at $6,452, which is higher than the Florida state average of $6,118 but remains well below the national average of $13,000. The county's schools are primarily located in suburban areas, with 51 schools in that category. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Manatee County

Reported Enrollment

50,482

80 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

16% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary43

Middle12

High13

Other12

1 School District in Manatee County

MANATEE

Guide

81 schools

51,234 students enrolled

Open district guide

80 Public Schools in Manatee County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 15 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 80 matching schools

Public schools in Manatee County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34211Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,435
PALMETTO HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	PALMETTO, 34221Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,100
PARRISH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	PARRISH, 34219Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,017
MANATEE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34205City: Small	9–12	High	1,983
MANATEE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS	Profile	MANATEE	PALMETTO, 34221Suburb: Large	6–12	Charter	1,968
BRADEN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34203Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,774
SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34208Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,716
BAYSHORE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34210Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,435
TEAM SUCCESS A SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34208Suburb: Large	KG–12	Charter	1,222
BUFFALO CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	PALMETTO, 34221Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,127
B.D. GULLETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34211Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	1,121
BARBARA A HARVEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	PARRISH, 34219Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	1,069
W. D. SUGG MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34209City: Small	6–8	Middle	1,010
DR MONA JAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	MANATEE	E BRADENTON, 34211Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	994
LOUISE R JOHNSON K-8 SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES	Profile	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34208Suburb: Large	PK–8	Primary	936
WILLIAM MONROE ROWLETT ACADEMY FOR ARTS AND COMMUNICATION	Record	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34208Suburb: Large	KG–5	Charter	918
MARTHA B. KING MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34209Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	848
VIRGIL MILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MANATEE	PALMETTO, 34221Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	818
BRADEN RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	MANATEE	BRADENTON, 34202Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	810
ANNIE LUCY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MANATEE	PARRISH, 34219Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	798

LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34211 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,435 students

PALMETTO HIGH SCHOOL

MANATEE

PALMETTO, 34221 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,100 students

PARRISH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

MANATEE

PARRISH, 34219 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,017 students

MANATEE HIGH SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34205 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,983 students

MANATEE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS

MANATEE

PALMETTO, 34221 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–12Charter1,968 students

BRADEN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34203 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,774 students

SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,716 students

BAYSHORE HIGH SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34210 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,435 students

TEAM SUCCESS A SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large

ProfileKG–12Charter1,222 students

BUFFALO CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL

MANATEE

PALMETTO, 34221 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,127 students

B.D. GULLETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34211 / Rural: Fringe

ProfilePK–5Primary1,121 students

BARBARA A HARVEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MANATEE

PARRISH, 34219 / Rural: Fringe

ProfilePK–5Primary1,069 students

W. D. SUGG MIDDLE SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34209 / City: Small

Profile6–8Middle1,010 students

DR MONA JAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL

MANATEE

E BRADENTON, 34211 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle994 students

LOUISE R JOHNSON K-8 SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–8Primary936 students

WILLIAM MONROE ROWLETT ACADEMY FOR ARTS AND COMMUNICATION

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Charter918 students

MARTHA B. KING MIDDLE SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34209 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle848 students

VIRGIL MILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MANATEE

PALMETTO, 34221 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary818 students

BRADEN RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL

MANATEE

BRADENTON, 34202 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle810 students

ANNIE LUCY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MANATEE

PARRISH, 34219 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary798 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,452

State avg $6,118

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Manatee County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?

Lafayette County (97.0%), Columbia County (96.0%), and Seminole County (95.0%) currently lead Florida among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?

Across Florida counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,118. The highest current county values are Monroe County ($9,238), Jefferson County ($9,157), and Franklin County ($7,953). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Manatee County?

Manatee County has a school score of 26/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Manatee County?

The high school graduation rate in Manatee County is 86.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Manatee County spend per student?

Manatee County spends $6,452 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Washington County

Florida

+0 pts

27/100

School score

Hendry County

Florida

-1 pts

26/100

School score

Lee County

Florida

-3 pts

24/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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