How did Palm Beach County elementary and middle schools fare in 2023 Florida rankings?

Katherine Kokal, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·3 min read

One elementary and two middle schools in Palm Beach County have cracked the top 20 list of schools in Florida by U.S. News & World Report.

Morikami Park Elementary has been ranked the fifth best elementary school in the state. Bak Middle School of the Arts was ranked 12th, and Verde K-8 School was ranked 20th among all Florida middle schools, according to the 2023 rankings.

Palm Beach County schools at all levels have performed well in the U.S. News & World Report rankings this year: Suncoast High was ranked 70th in the nation, and Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts ranked 90th — coveted spots in the country's top 17,000 high schools.

Elementary and middle schools are not ranked on a national level but are instead ranked by state. In Florida, 4,212 elementary schools and 3,076 middle schools were ranked this year.

Then-principal Seth Moldovan gives a tour of Verde K-8 School in Boca Raton, Florida in September 2020. Verde was ranked in the top 20 middle schools in 2023.
Then-principal Seth Moldovan gives a tour of Verde K-8 School in Boca Raton, Florida in September 2020. Verde was ranked in the top 20 middle schools in 2023.

In each state, U.S. News & World Report assesses schools based on the number of students who score proficient or above proficient on their mathematics and reading/language arts state tests. Half of the ranking is based on the scores themselves and the other half considers "test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics," according to the organization.

"In other words, the top-ranked schools are all high-achieving and have succeeded at educating all their students," the U.S. News & World Report website says.

All data used to determine the rankings are publicly available from the U.S. Department of Education. You can learn more about the organization's methodology on the U.S. News & World Report website. Schools such as K-8 campuses that serve students at both levels were ranked in the elementary category based on scores for students in the elementary grades and ranked in the middle school category based on their older students' grades.

Top high schools: Back on top: How did Palm Beach County high schools fare in national rankings?

Here's how the rankings shook out:

Top ranked elementary schools in Florida, Palm Beach County

  1. Jacksonville Beach Elementary School, Jacksonville Beach

  2. Pine View School, Osprey

  3. Somerset Academy Miramar South, Miramar

  4. Orlando Gifted Academy, Orlando

  5. Morikami Park Elementary, Delray Beach

  6. Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary, Tarpon Springs

  7. Somerset Academy Davie Charter, Davie

  8. Freedom 7 Elementary School, Cocoa Beach

  9. Henry S. West Laboratory School, Coral Gables

  10. The Sanibel School, Sanibel

Here's where Palm Beach County schools ranked in the top 100 of Florida elementary schools:

  • 24th place: Waters Edge Elementary, Boca Raton

  • 29th place: Beacon Cove Intermediate School, Jupiter

  • 30th place: Binks Forest Elementary, Wellington

  • 37th place: Marsh Forest Elementary, Palm Beach Gardens

  • 43rd place: Calusa Elementary, Boca Raton

  • 45th place: Equestrian Trails Elementary, Wellington

  • 48th place: Panther Run Elementary, Wellington

  • 57th place: Jupiter Farms Elementary, Jupiter

  • 72nd place: Sunrise Park Elementary, Boca Raton

  • 88th place: Addison Mizner K-8 school, Boca Raton

For the full list, visit the U.S. News & World Report website.

Top ranked middle schools in Florida, Palm Beach County

  1. Doral Academy of Technology, Doral

  2. Okaloosa Stemm Center, Valparaiso

  3. Pine View School, Osprey

  4. West Shore Junior/Senior High School, Melbourne

  5. The Sanibel School, Sanibel

  6. Horizon Charter School of Tampa, Tampa

  7. University Academy, Panama City

  8. Terrace Community Middle School, Thonotosassa

  9. Orlando Gifted Academy, Orlando

  10. Edgewood Jr/Sr High, Merritt Island

  11. Seaside Neighborhood School, Santa Rosa Beach

  12. Bak Middle School of the Arts, West Palm Beach

  13. Henry S. West Laboratory School, Coral Gables

  14. Palmetto Charter School, Palmetto

  15. Lutz Preparatory School, Lutz

  16. Just Arts and Management Charter Middle, Doral

  17. St. Johns Virtual, St. Augustine

  18. George Washington Carver Middle, Coral Gables

  19. Ada Merritt K-8, Miami

  20. Verde K-8, Boca Raton

Strings director Nancy Beebe leads her students during their performance at the 8th annual Artsgiving in 2021 at the Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach.
Strings director Nancy Beebe leads her students during their performance at the 8th annual Artsgiving in 2021 at the Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach.

Here's where Palm Beach County schools ranked in the top 100 of Florida middle schools:

  • 23rd place: Western Academy Charter School, Royal Palm Beach

  • 42nd place: Don Estridge High Tech Middle, Boca Raton

  • 73rd place: The Conservatory School at North Palm Beach, North Palm Beach

  • 97th place: Wellington Landings Middle, Wellington

For the full list, visit the U.S. News & World Report website.

Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best elementary, middle schools in Florida, Palm Beach County 2023