IDA M. STEWART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL vs BRADEN RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Ida M. Stewart Elementary School holds a 9.5/10 overall rating against Braden River Elementary School's 9.0/10 — a half-point gap that translates to a meaningful difference in statewide standing. Ida M. Stewart ranks #8 of 3,777 schools in Florida, placing it in the top 0.2% of the state. Braden River Elementary ranks #87 of 3,777, which is still an exceptional result — top 2.3% statewide — but the two schools are not equivalent in their Florida context despite being 13.8 miles apart in the same city.

Academically, the two schools are close: Ida M. Stewart scores 9.3/10 versus Braden River Elementary's 9.1/10, a 0.2-point difference. The more consequential gap is in growth. Ida M. Stewart earns a 9.7/10 growth score compared to Braden River Elementary's 8.7/10 — a full point separating them. Growth scores measure how much students advance relative to peers at similar starting levels, so that 1.0-point delta suggests Ida M. Stewart is accelerating student progress at a meaningfully faster rate regardless of incoming ability.

Ida M. Stewart enrolls 391 students versus Braden River Elementary's 547, making it a notably smaller school. The student-teacher ratios are close — 14.5:1 at Ida M. Stewart and 14.0:1 at Braden River Elementary — so class sizes are comparable despite the enrollment difference. Braden River Elementary serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged students, with 41% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch against Ida M. Stewart's 32%. That 9-point gap reflects a real socioeconomic difference between the two school communities.

Both schools serve grades PK through 5, so neither offers a grade-level advantage over the other for elementary-age children. The distinction comes down to scale and trajectory: Ida M. Stewart is a smaller school with a higher growth ceiling, while Braden River Elementary is a larger campus with strong absolute outcomes and a more economically diverse student body.