The Palm Beach County School District has 13 of the best elementary and middle schools in the state, according to a recent set of rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
The news magazine, which compiles rankings on hospitals, cars, academic programs and universities, ranked seven of the district’s elementary schools and six of its middle schools in the top 100 elementary and middle schools in the state.
Morikami Park Elementary in Delray Beach, which U.S. News ranked No. 4 among elementary 2,177 schools, and Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, which the magazine ranked No. 5 among 1,038 middle schools, got the highest marks.
“The exceptional performance of our elementary schools, with standout schools like Equestrian Trails Elementary School, Marsh Pointe Elementary School, Morikami Park Elementary School, Timber Trace Elementary School, and Waters Edge Elementary School ranking among the top in the state, reflects the district’s commitment to building a strong foundation for all students,” said Sean Cooley, chief of communications for the district. “These rankings are a testament to our dedicated teachers and staff, the supportive engagement of our parents and our effective instructional strategies. The success seen at these schools demonstrates that students thrive with academic excellence, high standards, and quality instruction.”
U.S. News said “schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for high school.”
Jacksonville Beach Elementary was U.S. News’ top-ranked elementary school in Florida, followed by Pine View School in Sarasota and Somerset Academy Miramar South and then Morikami Park, which moved up two spots over the 2024 rankings.
Behind Morikami Park, A.D. Henderson University School and FAU High, a laboratory school that is part of Florida Atlantic University, was ranked No. 8. Waters Edge Elementary in Boca Raton was No. 16, and Equestrian Trails Elementary in Wellington was No. 27.
A pair of Palm Beach Gardens schools, Marsh Pointe Elementary and Timber Trace Elementary, were ranked No. 45 and No. 47, respectively.
Panther Run Elementary in Lake Worth, ranked No. 98, was the final elementary school in U.S. News’ top 100 in the state.
The six Palm Beach County elementary schools that made the top 50
No. 4 — Morikami Park Elementary, Delray Beach
No. 8 — A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton
No. 16. — Waters Edge Elementary, Boca Raton
No. 27 — Equestrian Trails Elementary, Wellington
No. 45 — Marsh Pointe Elementary, Palm Beach Gardens
No. 47 — Timber Trace Elementary, Palm Beach Gardens
*No. 98 — Panther Run Elementary, Lake Worth Beach
Morikami Park Elementary School, west of Delray Beach, pictured in 2000.
U.S. News middle school rankings
Doral Academy of Technology was U.S. News’ top-ranked middle school in Florida, with Okaloosa Stemm Center in Valparaiso at No. 2 and Pine View School in Osprey at No. 3.
Orlando Gifted Academy was No. 4, followed by Bak Middle.
Behind Bak Middle, A.D. Henderson School and FAU High was U.S. News’ 11th-ranked middle school in Florida. Addison Mizner School in Boca Raton was No. 26, followed by Don Estridge High Tech Middle in Boca Raton at No. 28 and Western Academy Charter in Royal Palm Beach at No. 29.
Verde K-8 in Boca Raton, at No. 36, was the final district middle school in U.S. News’ top 100.
Cooley said the district is proud of the middle schools, “which are successfully preparing students for advanced high school programs.”
He added: “The outstanding performance and prestigious rankings achieved by schools like Addison Mizner School, Bak Middle School of the Arts, and Don Estridge High Tech Middle School are the result of the hard work by teachers and staff day in and day out as well as the motivated students who are excelling on the national stage. These schools illustrate the success of our strategy to offer diverse, high-caliber educational pathways, from technology and arts programs to rigorous academics, available for our middle school students.”
The six Palm Beach County middle schools ranked that made the top 50
No. 5 — Bak Middle School of the Arts, West Palm Beach
No. 11 — A.D. Henderson School and FAU High, Boca Raton
No. 26 — Addison Mizner K-8, Boca Raton
No. 28 — Don Estridge High Tech Middle, Boca Raton
No. 29 — Western Academy Charter, Royal Palm Beach
No. 36 — Verde K-8, Boca Raton
Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our work; subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County schools in Florida top 50 by US News & World Report
