A closer look at A. K. Suter Elementary School.
A. K. Suter Elementary's published history dates the school to 1921 and the opening of its current building to January 2015. The kindergarten-through-fifth-grade campus is on Pickens Avenue in Pensacola.
The 2025–26 Florida DOE report classifies A. K. Suter Elementary School in the elementary category, as a district public school in Escambia County. Its accountability grade is A; it earned 67% of possible accountability points. The published grade sequence is B in 2023–24, A in 2024–25, and A in 2025–26.
A long school history with concrete ways for families to participate
Our interpretation of published school information, not a campus inspection or an additional official rating.
Suter's published history offers more substance than a founding date. It describes classroom tutoring, Math Superstars and volunteer support alongside art, music and physical education. Our reading is that these are useful entry points for understanding how families can participate in learning. The important distinction is between an opportunity listed in the school's history and an activity that has an active coordinator this year.
The history also traces investments in library, art and music space before the replacement building opened in 2015. That gives a family a more useful campus conversation than simply asking whether the school is old or new. We would look for how those spaces are used across the grades, and how classroom work connects with the specialist subjects, rather than treating building age as evidence of teaching quality.
Why it may fit
Worth examining if you want an elementary experience that includes the arts and clearly identified ways to contribute. Participation can take different forms; families should ask about options that fit their available time.
What to weigh
The history page does not establish the current frequency, staffing or availability of each activity. A long tradition of volunteer involvement also does not tell you how an individual child's learning needs will be addressed.
The Pickens Avenue school dates to 1921, while its present building opened in January 2015. Those are separate pieces of its story, not competing descriptions of the campus.
Ask to see a recent classroom project and its connection to art, music or mathematics, then ask which tutoring or Math Superstars opportunities are operating in 2026–27.
Based on School history and learning spaces ↗ · Official school information ↗. Confirm current programs and availability with the school.
What makes this school distinctive.
A school with a long local history
The school history describes earlier additions for library, art and music instruction before the replacement building opened in 2015.
School source ↗Family participation
Suter describes classroom tutoring and Math Superstars among its volunteer-supported learning activities; ask which opportunities are operating this year.
School source ↗How the official results compare.
Its 67% overall points result is 9 percentage points above the 58% median among 33 other elementary schools in Escambia County with reported data.
What the results suggest.
Look beyond the latest letter
The sequence B → A → A is a reason to ask what changed between the three reporting years. A letter-grade change is not itself a measure of an individual child's learning growth. Ask the school to explain the underlying achievement and learning-gains results before attributing the change to a particular program.
A result worth noticing
Mathematics is 77%, compared with a 62% median for 33 other local schools in the same state category. That 15-point difference is the largest positive peer gap among the subject measures available here. Ask which learning opportunities sit behind it and how a new student would access them.
The next question after the scores
None of the 3 subject measures with enough local comparison data falls below its own peer median. The next question is how the school supports both students who need more time and students ready for additional challenge. These school-level percentages do not measure class size, belonging or your child's likely outcome.
Calculated from the dated state results below. Peer gaps compare each subject with the same subject at other schools, not one subject with another. Measures can cover different student groups. They do not establish why a result occurred or the quality of a particular teacher.
| Measure | This school | Peer median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall accountability points | 67% | 58% (33 schools) | +9 pp |
| English language arts achievement | 71% | 62% (33 schools) | +9 pp |
| Mathematics achievement | 77% | 62% (33 schools) | +15 pp |
| Science achievement | 70% | 61% (33 schools) | +9 pp |
Swipe across the table to compare all columns.
Calculated from the linked Florida DOE release. The peer median is the middle school-level result, excludes this school, uses the same county and DOE school category, and ignores missing values. It is not weighted by enrollment. “pp” means percentage points. Graduation and acceleration measures use the cohorts specified by the state. Different measures describe different groups of students.
Use the results to identify questions, not to predict your child's experience. Programs, support, admissions and a campus visit can change which option fits your priorities. Read the state methodology ↗
Other schools to consider.
These are the nearest other report pages in the same county and Florida DOE school category, using recorded campus locations. Their placement is based on location and school format, not a recommendation or enrollment entitlement.
N. B. Cook Elementary School ↗
Directory grades KG–05 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
N. B. Cook Elementary School reports 84% in science achievement, compared with 70% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. Particularly worth exploring for a child who engages through artistic expression and a family that values regular participation across several art forms.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.O. J. Semmes Elementary School ↗
Directory grades PK–05 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Compare O. J. Semmes Elementary School's course options, student support and daily schedule with this school. A different program or learning format may matter more to your child than the overall grade. Families who want a clear connection between school reading goals, home practice and regular teacher feedback can use Semmes' published resources to begin that discussion.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Cordova Park Elementary School ↗
Directory grades KG–06 · NCES 2024-25. Confirm current entry grades.
Cordova Park Elementary School reports 74% in science achievement, compared with 70% here. If this is a priority, ask how its instruction and support would serve your child. Relevant for a family interested in how visual arts contribute to an elementary education. A child who enjoys making things may also benefit from learning to explain choices and respond thoughtfully to someone else's work.
District school: confirm zoning, transfers and availability.Campus-to-campus distances are straight-line estimates, not driving routes or distances from your home. Use the address search on the school map for a comparison from your own location. An alternative may be a better fit when its verified program, support or learning format aligns with your child's needs; a higher score in one measure does not settle that decision.
Enrollment and a useful school visit.
Confirm your address assignment with Escambia Enrollment Services, then contact Suter about registration and the first-day routine. Enrollment resource ↗
- How are art, music and library time arranged across the elementary grades?
- Which classroom volunteering or Math Superstars opportunities are available this year?
Sources for this guide
School-specific research checked 2026-09-06. Accountability data: 2025–26, retrieved 2026-08-24. Directory information is dated separately above.