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Chester Shell Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

2120^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Chester Shell Elementary School in Hawthorne, FL, is a small, rural school serving 282 students in grades K-5, where over 75% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has faced significant challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom 10% of Florida elementary schools for the past five years, a sharp decline from its 3-star rating in 2016-2017. A critical issue is its chronic absenteeism rate of 50.5% in the 2023-2024 school year, nearly double the state average of 31.4% and far higher than nearby high-performing schools like Micanopy Area Cooperative School Inc. (18.2%) and Caring & Sharing Learning School (23.9%). This absenteeism, combined with high poverty, creates a cycle that makes academic progress difficult, despite the school spending $15,165 per student—more than many peers, including Micanopy ($8,260) and Caring & Sharing ($8,582).

There are a few bright spots. In 5th-grade English Language Arts (ELA), 50% of students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year, close to the Alachua district average of 58% and the state average of 61%, and a notable improvement from 37% the previous year. This suggests a specific intervention or teacher in upper grades may be making a difference. However, performance in 5th-grade Science has been inconsistent, fluctuating from 46% (near district and state averages) in 2023-2024 to 37% in 2024-2025, then recovering to 43% in 2025-2026. These small cohort sizes make trends hard to pin down, but Science is the subject where Chester Shell has come closest to meeting benchmarks.

Comparing Chester Shell to nearby schools reveals a stark contrast. High-performing schools like Micanopy Area Cooperative School and Melrose Elementary School are not in the Alachua district—they are charter schools or in the Putnam and Clay districts. Other Alachua County schools, such as Joseph Williams Elementary School and W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School, also struggle, suggesting district-level challenges may compound the school’s difficulties. The school’s persistent low performance, despite higher spending, highlights the need for strategies that directly address absenteeism and poverty to break the cycle.

282

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

75.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

21633 SE 65th Ave
Hawthorne, FL 32640

(352) 481-1901

District: Alachua

Students who attend Chester Shell Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Hawthorne Middle/High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.5%

African American:

33.3%

Two or more races:

11.0%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Chester Shell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 26th percentile in 2016 → 5th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (37% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (50% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg56%

Florida avg62%

2,120^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From bottom 26% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd of 28Elementary Schools in the Alachua

50^th of 70Alachua among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	11.2	2120 of 2240	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.9	2108 of 2258	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	2058 of 2256	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.8	2060 of 2240	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.7	2067 of 2219	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.5	2082 of 2247	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.0	1760 of 2182	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.9	1272 of 2118	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	58.4	859 of 2112	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	29.0	1536 of 2087	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	22.9	1680 of 2064	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.5	1784 of 2029	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	8.3	1899 of 1984	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.4	1897 of 1985	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	24.1	1552 of 1919	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	6.2	1783 of 1847	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	11.4	1665 of 1789	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	14.2	1611 of 1786	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	24.8	1319 of 1688	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	23.0	179 of 202	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Science43%-17 vs state

English Language Arts40%-20 vs state

Math31%-33 vs state

★

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Schools Near Chester Shell Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)				FAST Math (2026)				Statewide Science Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Chester Shell Elementary School	Public	K-5	21633 SE 65th Ave	Hawthorne	32640	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 481-1901	282	19	15.2	75.5%	134 (47.5%)	94 (33.3%)	23 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.0%)	11.2	2120^th of 2240 public elementary schools	5.4%		11.9	2108^th of 2258 public elementary schools	6.6%	12	35.0	32.0	50.0		31.0	40.0	27.0		43.0
Ochwilla Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	299 N State Road 21	Hawthorne	32640	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 481-0204	388	22	17.6	53.6%	216 (55.7%)	59 (15.2%)	66 (17.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (11.1%)	19.2	1950^th of 2240 public elementary schools	12.9%		18.7	1958^th of 2258 public elementary schools	13.3%	8	60.0	33.0	39.0	50.0	42.0	31.0	28.0	59.0	41.0	$14,150	$2,958	$11,192
Melrose Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	401 State Road 26	Melrose	32666	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 475-2060	353	23	15.3	47.9%	258 (73.1%)	31 (8.8%)	30 (8.5%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.2%)	65.4	743^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	66.8%		66.2	729^th of 2258 public elementary schools	67.7%	14	61.0	58.0	61.0	85.0	55.0	79.0	71.0	88.0	61.0	$14,289	$2,234	$12,056
Lake Forest Elementary School	Public	K-5	4401 SE 4th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6710	268	19	14.1	84.7%	22 (8.2%)	209 (78.0%)	23 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.1%)	2.1	2221^st of 2240 public elementary schools	0.8%		11.5	2112^th of 2258 public elementary schools	6.5%	109	24.0	26.0	20.0		31.0	23.0	23.0		27.0
Robert H. Jenkins Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	251 S State Road 315	Interlachen	32148	Putnam County	Putnam	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 684-2130	844	45	18.7	59.0%	630 (74.6%)	45 (5.3%)	129 (15.3%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.0%)	27.7	1722^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	23.1%		23.5	1807^th of 2258 public elementary schools	20.0%	85	44.0	41.0	48.0	56.0	50.0	37.0	50.0	65.0	57.0	$11,292	$1,725	$9,567
McIntosh Area School	Public, Charter	K-5	20400 10th St	Mc Intosh	32664	Marion County	Marion	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 591-9797	47	1	47.0	59.6%	36 (76.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.6%)								(n/a)										$12,350	$1,406	$10,943
Keystone Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	335 SW Pecan St	Keystone Heights	32656	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-1375	779	60	13.0	66.2%	650 (83.4%)	25 (3.2%)	68 (8.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	33 (4.2%)	39.1	1426^th of 2240 public elementary schools	36.3%		55.5	979^th of 2258 public elementary schools	56.6%	447	53.0	58.0	41.0	72.0	69.0	54.0	42.0	66.0	50.0	$11,457	$1,038	$10,420
Micanopy Area Cooperative School Inc.	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	802 NW Seminary Ave	Micanopy	32667	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	No	(352) 466-0990	212	16	13.2	28.3%	169 (79.7%)	14 (6.6%)	22 (10.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	72.3	567^th of 2240 public elementary schools	74.7%		73.7	538^th of 2258 public elementary schools	76.2%	29	77.0	85.0	64.0	74.0	69.0	78.0	56.0	83.0	69.0
Joseph Williams Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1245 SE 7th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 955-6719	398	27	14.7	82.2%	20 (5.0%)	328 (82.4%)	12 (3.0%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.0%)	3.8	2209^th of 2240 public elementary schools	1.4%		4.9	2220^th of 2258 public elementary schools	1.7%	11	13.0	25.0	35.0		10.0	16.0	32.0		38.0
Caring & Sharing Learning School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1951 SE 4th St	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 372-1004	369	18	20.5	65.9%	1 (0.3%)	342 (92.7%)	10 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	68.4	667^th of 2240 public elementary schools	70.2%		70.7	619^th of 2258 public elementary schools	72.6%	48	57.0	64.0	75.0		72.0	62.0	83.0		73.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Chester Shell Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Chester Shell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Chester Shell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Hawthorne Middle/High School

How many students attend Chester Shell Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 282 students attended Chester Shell Elementary School.

Is Chester Shell Elementary School a good school?

Chester Shell Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.4% of Florida elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Chester Shell Elementary School?

Students at Chester Shell Elementary School are 48% White, 33% African American, 11% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What district is Chester Shell Elementary School in?

Alachua

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.