PALMA SOLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL vs IDA M. STEWART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Ida M. Stewart Elementary School holds a slight edge in overall rating over Palma Sola Elementary School — 9.3 versus 9.1 out of 10 — but the state rank gap is more telling: Ida M. Stewart sits at #17 of 3,777 Florida schools, placing it in the top 0.5% statewide, while Palma Sola Elementary ranks #38 of 3,777, which is still an exceptional standing but trails its neighbor by 21 positions. Both schools are located in Bradenton, Florida, just 0.8 miles apart, serving identical grade bands of PK through 5th grade.

On academic performance, Ida M. Stewart Elementary scores 9.3 out of 10 versus Palma Sola Elementary's 9.0 — a 0.3-point advantage that reflects a consistent, not marginal, difference in measured proficiency. Growth scores are tighter: Ida M. Stewart earns a 9.7 and Palma Sola earns a 9.5, meaning both schools accelerate students at an elite rate, with Ida M. Stewart holding a 0.2-point lead. Parents at either school can expect strong academic momentum, but Ida M. Stewart holds the advantage on both dimensions simultaneously.

The most significant distinction between the two schools is socioeconomic composition. Palma Sola Elementary serves a student body where 59% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 32% at Ida M. Stewart Elementary. That 27-percentage-point gap reflects meaningfully different community demographics. Enrollment is nearly identical — 408 at Palma Sola versus 391 at Ida M. Stewart — and student-teacher ratios are virtually the same at 14.6:1 and 14.5:1 respectively, so class size is not a differentiating factor.

Both schools serve prekindergarten through fifth grade, so families at any point in the elementary years have the same access to each campus. The near-identical ratios and grade configurations mean the structural experience is similar; the real differences lie in Ida M. Stewart's higher academic and growth scores and its lower FRL rate, versus Palma Sola's still-elite statewide ranking achieved while serving a substantially higher share of economically disadvantaged students.