5.8 avg / 10

Best Schools in Fort Pierce, Florida

33 schools · 14 Elementary · 2 Middle · 8 High · 9 Other

Last updated: July 2026

Public: 21

Private: 12

Districts: 1

Avg Rating: 5.8/10

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Choosing a school in Fort Pierce?

Use this page to compare every school in Fort Pierce by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.

Explore the map How we rate schools

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

Elementary · St. Lucie. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Fort Pierce for 2026 are Fairlawn Elementary School (9.0/10), Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies (8.7/10), and Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie (8.3/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 32 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Best value · beats the odds

Fairlawn Elementary School

Rates 9.0/10 despite 57% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.3 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Fort Pierce schools.

Top-Rated Schools in Fort Pierce

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (32 of 33). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#	School	Rating	Level	Value	State %ile
1	Fairlawn Elementary School	9.0 / 10	Elementary	+3.3	94th
2	Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies	8.7 / 10	Elementary	+3.2	90th
3	Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie	8.3 / 10	Elementary	+2.7	85th
4	St Andrew's Episcopal Academy	7.1 / 10	Other	—	74th
5	Sun Grove Montessori School	7.1 / 10	Elementary	—	74th
6	Independence Classical Academy	6.5 / 10	Other	+0.7	54th
7	Orange Avenue Baptist School	6.4 / 10	Other	—	50th
8	Loving Care Young Achievers Club	6.4 / 10	Other	—	49th
9	Chester A. Moore Elementary School	6.3 / 10	Elementary	+1.0	50th
10	Liberty Baptist Academy	6.3 / 10	Other	—	47th

See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

Family Snapshot

At a glance

Avg school rating: 5.8/10
Median household income: $58,813
Median home value: $259,429
Bachelor's degree or higher: 21%
Avg commute: 27 min
Owner-occupied homes: 68%

How Fort Pierce compares

Florida rank

#215 of 280

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

-0.5

below Florida avg (6.3)

Median household income

$59k

79% of Florida median

Schools in this city

32

About Schools in Fort Pierce, Florida

Fort Pierce, Florida has 20 ranked public schools with an average score of 6.3 out of 10 — a competitive baseline with meaningful spread across the district. Nine of those 20 schools, or 45%, score 7 or higher, which means nearly half the public options here sit in solidly above-average territory for parents doing their homework.

Elementary performance drives that headline number. Fairlawn Elementary leads the city at 9.3 out of 10, placing it among the strongest public elementary schools in the region. Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie follows at 8.5, giving families a strong magnet-style option focused on the arts alongside traditional academics. Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies rounds out the elite tier at 8.3, offering a STEM-oriented curriculum for families who want that specialization early. Lawnwood Elementary (7.9) and Frances K. Sweet Elementary (7.1) extend the upper tier further, meaning Fort Pierce has five elementary schools scoring 7.0 or better — a genuine concentration of strong options at the foundational level.

The practical implication for parents is that school selection matters significantly here. The gap between the city's top performer (9.3) and the average (6.3) spans three full points, which means address and enrollment choices have real academic consequences. Families with elementary-age children have the most to gain from active school selection — three of the top five schools offer distinct programmatic identities (arts, emerging tech) that can match a child's strengths rather than just proximity.

For middle and high school families, the 45% rate of 7-plus schools still gives Fort Pierce a reasonable share of strong options, though the elementary pipeline is clearly the district's most concentrated strength. Parents should check school-level scores directly on MySchoolScout rather than relying on district averages, since the 6.3 mean obscures how unevenly performance distributes across these 20 schools. The top tier is genuinely strong; the distance to the bottom is real.

Filter by Level: All Levels (33) Elementary (14) Middle (2) High (8)

Filter by Type: All Types (33) Public (21) Private (12)

Filter by Rating: All Ratings (33) Academics (20) Growth (20) Diversity (20) Resources (20)

Filter by ZIP: 34950 (8) 34981 (8) 34947 (7) 34982 (7)

Elementary Schools

14 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Fairlawn Elementary School 646 students · Pre-K–5th	646	Pre-K–5th	9.0
2	Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies 702 students · Pre-K–8th	702	Pre-K–8th	8.7
3	Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie 468 students · Kindergarten–8th	468	Kindergarten–8th	8.3
4	Chester A. Moore Elementary School 429 students · Kindergarten–8th	429	Kindergarten–8th	6.3
5	Lawnwood Elementary School 783 students · Pre-K–5th	783	Pre-K–5th	5.6
6	Frances K. Sweet Elementary School 364 students · Pre-K–5th	364	Pre-K–5th	4.8
7	White City Elementary School 504 students · Pre-K–5th	504	Pre-K–5th	4.7
8	Lakewood Park Elementary School 640 students · Pre-K–5th	640	Pre-K–5th	4.7
9	St. Lucie Elementary School 662 students · Pre-K–5th	662	Pre-K–5th	4.2
10	Weatherbee Elementary School 728 students · Pre-K–5th	728	Pre-K–5th	4.1

Show all 14 elementary schools in Fort Pierce

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.

Sun Grove Montessori School Private Sunrise Academy of Excellence Private Jes Memorial Sda School Private Destined for Greatness Christian Academy Private

Middle Schools

2 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Dan Mccarty Middle School 711 students · 6th–8th	711	6th–8th	5.0
2	Forest Grove Middle School 853 students · 6th–8th	853	6th–8th	4.2

High Schools

8 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Performance Based Preparatory Academy 141 students · 9th–12th	141	9th–12th	5.8
2	Lincoln Park Academy 1,680 students · 6th–12th	1,680	6th–12th	5.8
3	Pace Center for Girls Treasure Coast 37 students · 6th–12th	37	6th–12th	5.3
4	Fort Pierce Central High School 3,187 students · 9th–12th	3,187	9th–12th	4.6
5	Fort Pierce Westwood Academy the W.e.s.t. Prep Magnet 1,956 students · 9th–12th	1,956	9th–12th	4.2
6	Data House 14 students · 6th–12th	14	6th–12th	—
Private Schools 2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	St James Academy Private 300 students · 9th–12th	300	9th–12th	6.1
2	Florida State Christian Academy Private 374 students · 6th–12th	374	6th–12th	5.9

Other Schools

9 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Independence Classical Academy 472 students · Kindergarten–12th	472	Kindergarten–12th	6.5
2	St. Lucie Detention Center 65 students · Kindergarten–12th	65	Kindergarten–12th	5.4
3	Dale Cassens Education Complex 212 students · Pre-K–12th	212	Pre-K–12th	4.8
Private Schools 6 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	St Andrew's Episcopal Academy Private 225 students · Pre-K–12th	225	Pre-K–12th	7.1
2	Orange Avenue Baptist School Private 52 students · 1st–12th	52	1st–12th	6.4
3	Loving Care Young Achievers Club Private 117 students · Pre-K–12th	117	Pre-K–12th	6.4
4	Liberty Baptist Academy Private 340 students · Pre-K–12th	340	Pre-K–12th	6.3
5	Faith United School of Excellence Private 36 students · Kindergarten–11th	36	Kindergarten–11th	5.8
6	Synergy School of Tomorrow Inc Private 716 students · Pre-K–12th	716	Pre-K–12th	5.3

Schools in Fort Pierce

Fort Pierce, Florida · 33 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 7 ZIP codes

Median Income

$58,813

Median Home Value

$259,429

Median Rent

$1,246/mo

Population

106,772

College Educated

21%

Homeownership

68%

Avg Commute

27 min

Poverty Rate

18.6%

Community Profile

Fort Pierce has a median household income of $58,813. It is a community where 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $259,429, with a median rent of $1,246/month. The area has a poverty rate of 18.6%. The average commute for residents is 27 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Schools by Level

State: Florida
Elementary: 14
Middle: 2
High: 8
Other: 9

Resources

🔍 Google "Fort Pierce schools" 🏫 GreatSchools Fort Pierce 📊 Niche Fort Pierce Rankings 📍 Google Maps: Schools

School District

ST. LUCIE

53 schools · 46,987 students

Nearby Cities

Port Saint Lucie (1 school)

7 mi

Port St. Lucie (40 schools)

8 mi

Port St.lucie (1 school)

11 mi

Ft. Lauderdale (2 schools)

13 mi

Jensen Beach (2 schools)

14 mi

Vero Beach (27 schools)

15 mi

Palm City (4 schools)

18 mi

Stuart (24 schools)

20 mi

Sebastian (7 schools)

25 mi

Hobe Sound (6 schools)

28 mi

Indiantown (3 schools)

29 mi

Fellsmere (1 school)

28 mi

Okeechobee (15 schools)

Other Major Cities in Florida

Top metros statewide by school count.

Miami 497 schools Orlando 299 schools Jacksonville 296 schools Tampa 239 schools Hialeah 118 schools

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Fort Pierce, Florida

How many schools are in Fort Pierce, Florida?

Fort Pierce has 33 schools, including 21 public and 12 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Fort Pierce, Florida?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Fort Pierce is 5.8 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.

What is the top-ranked school in Fort Pierce, Florida?

The top-ranked school in Fort Pierce on MySchoolScout is Fairlawn Elementary School with a composite score of 9.0/10.

What is the best elementary school in Fort Pierce, Florida?

The top-ranked elementary school in Fort Pierce on MySchoolScout is Fairlawn Elementary School with a composite score of 9.0/10.

What is the best middle school in Fort Pierce, Florida?

The top-ranked middle school in Fort Pierce on MySchoolScout is Dan Mccarty Middle School with a composite score of 5.0/10.

What is the best high school in Fort Pierce, Florida?

The top-ranked high school in Fort Pierce on MySchoolScout is St James Academy with a composite score of 6.1/10.

How many school districts serve Fort Pierce, Florida?

Fort Pierce is served by 1 school district: St. Lucie.

What is the education level in Fort Pierce, Florida?

According to Census data, 21% of adults in Fort Pierce have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Fort Pierce, Florida?

The median household income in Fort Pierce is approximately $58,813 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Fort Pierce, Florida?

Yes, Fort Pierce has 12 private schools alongside 21 public schools. The top-rated private school is St Andrew's Episcopal Academy with a score of 7.1/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Fort Pierce, Florida?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Fort Pierce is 15.3:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Fort Pierce, Florida?

MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.