Pictured: Kirsten Russell, Vice President of Community Impact at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County during the 2024 Embracing Our Differences Reading Day. Photo courtesy of Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

This spring marks five years since the global pandemic shifted much in our personal lives and ignited changes in our local and statewide economy. As we made our way through the last half decade, the professional aspirations of many have been altered, and at the same time, the population of Sarasota County has grown. As the long tail of the pandemic wags, we are starting to see effects from that time distinctly in indicators of need and bright spots surrounding education.

This month our Community Foundation has released a regional education report that examines many different factors of student success across Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. This is an area we provide much support, both as the largest scholarship provider in the area, serving both students and adult learners, as well as funding investments in local schools, early learning and youth focused programs and services that enhance parent and student development.

The data provided is rich and thoughtful and includes insights from many local educational entities. Our aim in providing this data-centered report is to ask better questions about how to help children and adults pursue and achieve continuing educational success – however they define that journey.

I want to offer five key takeaways from the report specific to Sarasota County:

1. Sarasota County’s population growth – not just in the last five years, but since 2000 – has shifted and is driven by individuals over 55 years old and those under age 27, indicating an influx of school-aged people as well as an increasing number of those who will rely on strong community supports in the near future.  Some 45% of Sarasota County’s population is Gen X, Millennials, or Gen Z – and growing!

2. More than half (51%) of Sarasota County students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. It’s a signal of a broader financial deficit of families in our county, which has implications far beyond food security, such as access to quality medical care and therapies, technology, tutoring, and extra-curricular or enrichment activities. 

3. About 20% of eligible Sarasota County children are enrolled in Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK). Research indicates the most meaningful time a human can learn is in the early years, and VPK, a half-day program available for free to four-year-olds living in Florida, aims to capitalize on the key early years to prepare children academically and socially for kindergarten by developing stronger cognitive skills in language, literacy, and math. Expanding to a full-day program could grow participation for households with working parents who are seeking quality care for their children. 

4. More than half (57%) of Sarasota County students scored above the minimum to show kindergarten readiness, slightly higher than the state average of 51%. Still, when 43% arrive unprepared to learn, this leads to widening achievement gaps, poor self-esteem, and behavior issues. 

5. Third Grade Reading Scores Vary by Race and Ethnicity: Some 68% of all Sarasota County third graders show reading proficiency in third grade, a milestone long-considered a harbinger for lasting academic success that leads to positive outcomes over a lifetime.Disaggregated by race, however, the numbers show worrying trends. Only 44% of Black students and 58% of Hispanic students are reading proficiently in third grade. There may be interventions that could narrow this pronounced achievement gap, ranging from school-based supports to community-based supports.  

6. Postsecondary Pathways are critical to ongoing skill building and overall economic mobility. With 49% of Sarasota County adults 25 and older not having credentials or degrees past a high school diploma – although 90% of students are graduating – Sarasota County Schools’ graduation strategy opens up more offerings to meet diverse interests of today’s graduates. This may come through apprenticeships and skilled workforce training, as well as accelerated courses and college advising. Clearly, education extends beyond high school to expand career opportunities that offer greater stability and benefits for the individuals, and our entire community. 

I encourage you to read the complete report 

Kirsten Russell is Vice President of Community Impact, The Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Pictured: Kirsten Russell, Vice President of Community Impact at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County during the 2024 Embracing Our Differences Reading Day. Photo courtesy of Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

To read the complete report click here.