Manatee County Schools & Education
Manatee County, Florida
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool 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
80
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.
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
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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Manatee County, Florida
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
A Dynamic Coastal School System
Manatee County manages 80 public schools with an enrollment of over 50,000 students. This includes a robust infrastructure of 43 elementary, 12 middle, and 13 high schools.
Investing Above the State Average
Manatee County spends $6,452 per pupil, which is higher than the state average of $6,118. This funding supports a system with an 86.0% graduation rate, nearly matching the national 87% benchmark.
Wide-Ranging Choices and Charters
The Manatee District manages over 51,000 students and features 13 charter schools, making up 16.3% of the total landscape. Lakewood Ranch High School is the largest traditional high school with 2,435 students.
Large Suburban Learning Centers
Suburban schools are the norm here, accounting for 51 of the county's 80 schools. With an average size of 656 students, many campuses like Palmetto High exceed 2,000 residents.
School Overview
Total Schools
80
in Manatee County
Reported Enrollment
50,482
80 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
13
16% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Manatee County
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 dataLevel
Showing 20 of 80 matching schools
| 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
PALMETTO HIGH SCHOOL
MANATEE
PALMETTO, 34221 / Suburb: Large
PARRISH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
MANATEE
PARRISH, 34219 / Rural: Fringe
MANATEE HIGH SCHOOL
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34205 / City: Small
MANATEE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
MANATEE
PALMETTO, 34221 / Suburb: Large
BRADEN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34203 / Suburb: Large
SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large
BAYSHORE HIGH SCHOOL
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34210 / Suburb: Large
TEAM SUCCESS A SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large
BUFFALO CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL
MANATEE
PALMETTO, 34221 / Rural: Fringe
B.D. GULLETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34211 / Rural: Fringe
BARBARA A HARVEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MANATEE
PARRISH, 34219 / Rural: Fringe
W. D. SUGG MIDDLE SCHOOL
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34209 / City: Small
DR MONA JAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL
MANATEE
E BRADENTON, 34211 / Rural: Fringe
LOUISE R JOHNSON K-8 SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large
WILLIAM MONROE ROWLETT ACADEMY FOR ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
MANATEE
BRADENTON, 34208 / Suburb: Large
ANNIE LUCY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MANATEE
PARRISH, 34219 / Rural: Fringe
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 CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Florida?
How should I read the school score in Manatee County?
What is the graduation rate in Manatee County?
How much does Manatee County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Manatee County, Florida — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Manatee County, Florida?
Manatee County manages 80 public schools with an enrollment of over 50,000 students. This includes a robust infrastructure of 43 elementary, 12 middle, and 13 high schools.
How do schools in Manatee County perform academically?
Manatee County spends $6,452 per pupil, which is higher than the state average of $6,118. This funding supports a system with an 86.0% graduation rate, nearly matching the national 87% benchmark.
What are the major school districts in Manatee County, Florida?
The Manatee District manages over 51,000 students and features 13 charter schools, making up 16.3% of the total landscape. Lakewood Ranch High School is the largest traditional high school with 2,435 students.
What is the school experience like in Manatee County?
Suburban schools are the norm here, accounting for 51 of the county's 80 schools. With an average size of 656 students, many campuses like Palmetto High exceed 2,000 residents.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.