Elisa Nelson Elementary School in Palm Harbor earned the No. 13 spot among Florida's best public elementary schools in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 rankings, Patch reported Oct. 20.

The gifted-studies magnet school was the only Pinellas County campus to land in the state's top 25.

U.S. News researchers used the latest publicly available data from state education agencies, compiled by RTI International, alongside U.S. Department of Education data. For the first time, the methodology incorporated state-level reports on student performance across all proficiency levels, according to Patch.

"By incorporating direct state data across all proficiency levels, the 2027 rankings offer a richer, more complete picture of how elementary and middle schools are driving student growth," Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in a news release.

The rankings assessed reading and math performance while accounting for student background and absolute performance on state assessments. The report covered 46,000 public elementary schools ranked at the state and district levels. Charter schools were placed in a separate category.

Elisa Nelson serves grades 1 through 5 and operates as a full-time Center for Gifted Studies and Literacy Innovation within Pinellas County Schools. The school offers an advanced curriculum grounded in the Florida Gifted Frameworks, with services including critical and creative thinking instruction and interest-based learning, according to its program page.

Students who complete the program have feeder assurance to Dunedin Highland Middle School's Center for Gifted Studies upon application.

Applicants to Elisa Nelson’s Center for Gifted Studies must meet the program’s gifted learner eligibility requirements. Families can contact magnet coordinator Ashley Morelli at 727-298-2788 or review the school’s program page.