What Sarasota County Schools does

Sarasota County Schools is a public K-12 school district operated under the authority of the State of Florida and the Sarasota County School Board, headquartered at 1960 Landings Blvd., Sarasota, FL. The district serves more than 44,000 students across 57 schools, including 23 elementary, 7 middle, 6 high schools, 4 combination, 1 alternative, 14 charter, 1 virtual school, and Suncoast Technical College. The Superintendent is Terry Connor, and the district employs approximately 5,800 staff across instructional, operational, and administrative roles. Student demographics span 60+ languages spoken at home, with the district providing translation and interpretation services (Language Line) across more than 240 languages.

The district's technology stack is built around the Focus Parent Portal (powered by FOCUS School Software) for student registration, scheduling, attendance, and grades, supplemented by the SCS Mobile App, My Ride K-12 for transportation tracking, MealViewer for nutrition, My School Bucks for meal payments, Peachjar for digital flyers, and the Apptegy-powered district website. The In Touch Community Newsletter and In Tune Podcast extend the district's communications reach. Curriculum offerings include exceptional student education (ESE), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), career and technical education (CTE), and magnet programs such as the Gulf Coast Academy of Innovation and Technology, which focuses on AI, cybersecurity, robotics, and marine/agriscience.

As a government entity, Sarasota County Schools does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), local property taxes, federal grants, and categorical program funding, and provides free public education to all district residents. The district supplements public funding through community partnerships and volunteer programs (88,522 hours contributed in 2025-26, valued at approximately $2.8M), and pursues school choice enrollment including charter and virtual options. The district has earned an 'A' grade from the Florida Department of Education for 21 consecutive years and was ranked #1 in Florida by Niche.com in 2024.

Name

Sarasota County Schools

Legal name

Sarasota County Schools

Website

https://sarasotacountyschools.net

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sarasota County Schools is a public K-12 school district serving 44,000+ students across 57 schools in Sarasota County, Florida, funded by state allocations and local taxes, and offering free public education from preschool through 12th grade plus adult technical training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district services
• Exceptional student education
• Career technical education
• Magnet school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Sarasota County Schools is a public school district funded through state and local tax revenues, federal grants, and school choice enrollment allocations. Revenue comes primarily from Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) funding, local property taxes, and categorical program funding. No commercial revenue model as the district provides free public education to district residents.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sarasota County Schools is a public K-12 school district that provides tuition-free preschool through 12th grade education to more than 44,000 students across 57 schools in Sarasota County, Florida. The district delivers core academic instruction alongside specialized programs including exceptional student education (ESE), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), career and technical education, and magnet programs such as the Gulf Coast Academy of Innovation and Technology. Supporting services include food and nutrition, student transportation, health services, mental health resources, and parent-facing digital tools for registration and communication.

Product overview

Sarasota County Schools is a public school district offering education across 57 schools spanning preschool through 12th grade. The district operates a unified platform combining its core educational services with digital tools including the district website powered by Apptegy, the Focus Parent Portal for student registration and records management, the SCS Mobile App for families, and the My Ride K-12 App for transportation tracking. The district also operates specialty programs including Gulf Coast Academy of Innovation and Technology (a magnet school focused on technology and innovation). Additional communication products include the In Touch Community Newsletter and In Tune Podcast. The district's technology infrastructure integrates with MealViewer for nutrition services, My School Bucks for meal payments, and Language Line for multilingual support across more than 240 languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sarasota County Schools District Website
• SCS Mobile App
• Focus Parent Portal
• My Ride K-12 App
• In Touch Community Newsletter
• In Tune Podcast
• Gulf Coast Academy of Innovation and Technology
• K-12 Public Education Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.3% graduation rate for 2024-2025 academic year, up 1.8% from previous year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rotary Club of SarasotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rotary Club of Sarasota has partnered with the Booker schools (Emma E. Booker Elementary, Booker Middle, and Booker High) through the Booker Nation Initiative, investing over $500,000 to support academics, arts, athletics, wellness, and facilities. Their partnership helped all three schools earn State 'B' ratings, including a 75-point gain at Booker High School.
• Neal CommunitiesminorOthersGold sponsor of the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards reception. Ivory Matthews, Vice President of Community & Governmental Affairs, represents the company at district events.
• Education Foundation of Sarasota CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards. Led by Jennifer Vigne (President/CEO), the foundation supports educational initiatives and programs in Sarasota County schools.
• Take Stock in ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards. The organization provides mentorship and scholarship programs for at-risk students in Sarasota County schools.
• All Faiths Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Sarasota County Schools on the Summer Feeding Program to provide free meals for children during the summer months, addressing food insecurity among students.
• Collier CompaniesminorOthersBronze sponsor of the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards reception.
• Carnegie LearningminorOthersSupport sponsor of the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards. Corey Appelbaum, Senior Account Executive, represents the company.
• Community Foundation of Sarasota CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner acknowledged at the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards. Supports educational initiatives and community development in Sarasota County.
• Carl Reynolds LawminorOthersCommunity partner acknowledged at the 2026 Outstanding Volunteer Awards, represented by Carl Reynolds and Kamilla Brannan.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools: Florida's largest public K-12 district serving ~330,000 students across 400+ schools. Directly comparable as a Florida public school district operating under the same FEFP funding mechanism and Florida DOE accountability framework, though significantly larger in scale.
• Hillsborough County Public Schools: Tampa-area Florida public K-12 district serving approximately 220,000 students. Comparable as a Florida public school district under FEFP funding with similar governance, accountability, and grade-rating structures, but with a much larger and more urban student population.
• Orange County Public Schools: Orlando-area Florida public K-12 district serving ~200,000 students. Comparable as a large Florida public school district operating under FEFP and Florida DOE accountability with similar charter school oversight, though at substantially larger scale than Sarasota.
• Broward County Public Schools: Fort Lauderdale-area Florida public K-12 district serving ~250,000 students. Comparable as a large Florida public school district under the same FEFP and grading framework, with similar multilingual learner populations though at much larger scale.
• Palm Beach County School District: Southeast Florida public K-12 district serving ~190,000 students. Comparable as a Florida public school district under FEFP accountability with similar multilingual learner populations, though at significantly larger scale.
• Duval County Public Schools: Jacksonville-area Florida public K-12 district serving ~130,000 students. Comparable as a Florida public school district under the same FEFP funding and Florida DOE grading framework, though serving a more urban demographic base.

Direct peers

• Pinellas County Schools: Neighboring Tampa Bay-area Florida public K-12 district serving ~100,000 students. Directly comparable as a Florida public school district with similar demographic profile, coastal Florida operating environment, and accountability ratings.
• Lee County School District: Southwest Florida public K-12 district (Fort Myers area) serving ~95,000 students. Comparable as a regional Florida public school district with similar coastal demographics, FEFP funding exposure, and Florida DOE accountability framework.
• Collier County Public Schools: Naples-area Florida public K-12 district serving ~50,000 students. Closely comparable as a coastal Southwest Florida public school district with similar affluent demographic profile, size range, and Florida DOE accountability structure.
• Brevard Public Schools: Central Florida coast public K-12 district (Space Coast) serving ~70,000 students. Comparable as a mid-size Florida public school district with similar coastal operating environment, FEFP funding mechanics, and grade accountability structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sarasotaschools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sarasotaschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/pg/sarasotaschools/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/sarasotaschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3477170

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sarasota County Schools