The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Math. The lowest is 39% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Palmetto Elementary School
Palmetto Elementary sits on 10th Street West in Palmetto, a small waterfront city on the north bank of the Manatee River that is in the middle of a notable transition. The city's commercial corridors along U.S. 41 carry newer development and services, while a quieter historic downtown a few blocks from the river holds small shops and early 20th-century architecture. Publicly reported accounts describe a community trying to hold onto what locals call an "Old Florida" feel even as waterfront master-planned communities add homes and industrial expansion at the port and tradeport reshapes the employment base. Port Manatee anchors a large share of the regional economy, and a global wellness company headquartered in Palmetto adds to the employer mix. The city has over a dozen parks and more than sixty acres of green space, a county library branch downtown with a makerspace and seed library, and a free on-demand electric ride service through the community redevelopment area.
The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Manatee County district, drawing a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with Black and white students making up most of the remainder, and a small share of students identifying as two or more races. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, pointing to a high-need economic profile. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available in the records reviewed.
On Florida's FAST assessments, the picture is mixed and warrants close attention from families. Math results are the stronger story: fourth-grade math proficiency sits well above the midpoint, and third and fifth grade are meaningfully lower but still show a majority of students reaching proficiency. ELA tells a different story. Third-grade reading proficiency is low, with fewer than half of students reaching the bar, and fifth grade is also below the midpoint. Fourth grade is the outlier in a positive direction, reaching roughly six in ten students proficient. The fifth-grade science assessment shows fewer than half of students proficient. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from these records whether scores are improving, holding, or slipping. A parent who wants to understand the trajectory would be well served asking the school directly about reading intervention programs and how early literacy is tracked across grades, particularly given that the district's 1-mill referendum renewal specifically called out early literacy as a funding priority.
That referendum, renewed by Manatee County voters in late 2024, is worth understanding. Publicly reported accounts indicate it continues to fund teacher salary supplements, an additional stretch of instructional time each school day, STEM and arts programming, school safety, and early literacy work. The renewal keeps these supports in place for years ahead, which directly shapes what the school can offer.
The district is also in a rezoning process driven by rapid enrollment growth countywide, and new elementary attendance zones are already in effect. Families who are choosing where to live in Palmetto should confirm which school their address maps to under the new boundaries, since the rezoning has reshuffled assignments across the district's schools.
Housing near the school sits at values roughly in line with, though modestly below, the Florida statewide median, and home values in the zip code have pulled back year over year. Rents have also dipped modestly. Affordability relative to income is a stretch by standard measures, which mirrors the broader pressure across coastal Florida.
Palmetto Elementary is a Title I status and magnet status were not reported in the data available. The school's enrollment is moderate in size for its grade band. No information on course offerings, staffing ratios, attendance, or discipline data was available in the records reviewed, leaving gaps a family would want to fill through a school visit or direct conversation with administration. Given the ELA proficiency levels, particularly in third grade where foundational reading skills are assessed, families of early-elementary students may want to ask specifically how the school identifies and supports students who are not yet on grade level in reading.
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