GENE WITT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL vs FREEDOM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Freedom Elementary School holds a significant statewide edge over Gene Witt Elementary School: Freedom ranks #9 of 3,777 Florida schools while Gene Witt ranks #88 of 3,777 — a gap of 79 positions that places Freedom among the top 0.25% of all elementary schools in the state. That translates to a 0.5-point overall rating difference (Freedom at 9.5/10, Gene Witt at 9.0/10), a meaningful spread given how compressed scores become at the top of the distribution.

The two schools diverge in opposite directions on the two core academic metrics. Gene Witt Elementary School scores 9.8/10 on academics versus Freedom Elementary School's 9.2/10 — Gene Witt's strongest differentiator. But Freedom reverses that gap on student growth, earning a 9.7/10 growth score against Gene Witt's 8.7/10. That one-point growth advantage signals that Freedom is accelerating learning at an above-average rate relative to where its students start, not just serving students who arrive at grade level.

Freedom Elementary School serves 611 students at a 13.6:1 student-teacher ratio, compared to Gene Witt Elementary School's 754 students at 16.4:1 — nearly three additional students per teacher. Freedom also serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged students, with 41% qualifying for free or reduced lunch versus 30% at Gene Witt. That Freedom achieves a higher overall rating and a superior growth score while serving a more economically diverse population at lower staffing cost makes its performance particularly notable.

Both schools cover grades PK through 05 and sit 3.7 miles apart in Bradenton, making the choice primarily one of priorities rather than access. Gene Witt's academic score of 9.8/10 reflects consistently high proficiency outcomes. Freedom's growth score of 9.7/10 and state rank of #9 of 3,777 reflect a school that is actively moving students forward — and doing so in smaller classrooms.