Emma E. Booker Elementary earns its first-ever 'A' grade

Emma E. Booker Elementary holds a unique place in American history — it's the school President George W. Bush was visiting on the morning of September 11, 2001, there specifically because the school had been struggling academically and he was promoting the No Child Left Behind Act. Twenty-five years later, the school has completed a turnaround few thought possible: for the first time since opening in 1989, it has earned an 'A' grade from the state of Florida. The road there wasn't smooth — at one point the school held a 'D' rating and was placed under state monitoring. Today, Booker remains the highest Title 1 school in the Sarasota County School District, with 95 percent of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, making the achievement even more significant.