If you are considering a move to Sarasota, and you are bringing school-age children with you, rest assured that you are coming to an area with excellent academic options for your family.  In 2012, the Florida Department of Education ranked the Sarasota County School district as being fourth highest among the state’s 67 county-wide school district, ranking it ahead of many larger districts in the state. The ranking was based on overall student achievements on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Sarasota schools offer excellent academic choices no matter where you are looking to buy.  Following is a recap of the schools in Sarasota County:

• 12 Elementary Schools,
• 4 Middle Schools
• 5 High Schools
• 6 Charter Schools
• 6 Private schools
• 1 Technical School
• 6 Colleges and Universities

You’ll find several thriving magnet programs at the high school level, including a school for the arts at Booker High School; an International Baccalaureate program at Riverview High School, and a world-class Polytechnic High School, which just opened with a multi-million dollar facility that houses programs in graphic design, digital media, television and recording arts, and more.

Sarasota School for the Arts and Sciences is a charter program, located in historic downtown area of Sarasota.  The Sarasota Military Academy is also in the historic district—both offering excellent educational opportunities for your child.

Private schools include the Out of Door Academy, a cutting edge college preparatory program that sees most of its graduates placed in prestigious post-secondary schools.  Dreams are Free Academy, a K-8 program, and Cardinal Mooney High School operate under the aegis of the Catholic Diocese of Southwest Florida.  Both are likewise known for their stellar academics.

Sarasota also enjoys numerous alternative education programs, including a thriving Montessori school, and a large, well-organized home education community.  A “Classic Studies” program, organized and used mostly by the home school community, has also seen tremendous success here.  Florida’s award-winning, online education program, Florida Virtual School, the largest virtual program in the nation, is also available to Sarasota County residents—as it is to all Florida residents, free of charge.

Sarasota also offers numerous post-secondary options, including State College of Florida, University of South Florida – Sarasota, New College and The Ringling School of Art and Design.  Several private programs are here as well, such as Keiser University, Eckerd College, and University of Phoenix, to name just a few.  Sarasota offers options for education and ongoing training at every stage of life.