GRADY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL vs LANIER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Grady Elementary School holds a slight overall rating edge over Lanier Elementary School — 9.3 out of 10 versus 9.0 — but the gap between their state rankings tells a sharper story: Grady ranks #30 of 3,777 Florida schools while Lanier ranks #82 of the same pool, placing both firmly in the top 3% statewide. Parents choosing between two Tampa elementary schools separated by 4.0 miles are comparing two high-performing schools, not a strong school against a weak one.

The clearest academic delta sits in proficiency scores: Grady Elementary holds a 9.7 out of 10 academic rating versus Lanier Elementary's 8.5, a 1.2-point difference that reflects meaningfully higher tested proficiency across subjects. Growth scores, however, flip the picture — Lanier edges Grady 9.3 to 9.2, meaning students at Lanier are advancing at a marginally faster year-over-year pace relative to academic expectations. Both numbers are exceptional, but families prioritizing ceiling achievement will find Grady stronger, while those focused on learning velocity will see Lanier holding its own.

The demographic profiles of the two schools diverge significantly. Grady Elementary enrolls 557 students at a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio with 18% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Lanier Elementary is smaller — 354 students — with a tighter 12.6:1 ratio and 60% of students on free or reduced lunch. Lanier's lower ratio means more direct instructional time per child, and its higher FRL share indicates the school is serving a more economically diverse population, which its strong growth score suggests it does effectively.

Both Grady and Lanier serve grades PK through 05, so neither offers a structural grade advantage over the other. Grady's larger enrollment typically supports a broader extracurricular and elective offering, while Lanier's smaller campus tends toward closer teacher-family relationships at the classroom level. The 4.0-mile distance between the two schools means neighborhood proximity will often be the practical tiebreaker for Tampa families who find both academically compelling.