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Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

1980^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Rufus E. Payne Elementary School is a small, high-poverty school in Jacksonville, FL, serving 233 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Duval school district, and it has recently achieved a remarkable academic turnaround that sets it apart from many nearby schools.

After years of struggling in the bottom 25% of Florida elementary schools, Rufus E. Payne jumped to the 53rd percentile in the 2024-2025 school year, earning a 3-star rating—its highest performance in a decade. This is a dramatic contrast to neighboring schools like Susie E. Tolbert (1st percentile), Biltmore (5th percentile), and George Washington Carver (5th percentile), which remain in the bottom 5% of the state. The school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate (67%) significantly outpaced both the district (52%) and state (55%) averages, and was the highest among all nearby schools, including Pickett (56%) and Rutledge H. Pearson (50%). This success is notable given that the school spends a high amount per student ($20,797), second only to R. V. Daniels ($27,312), but unlike that school, Payne has translated this investment into real academic gains.

However, the school faces a significant challenge: chronic absenteeism. At 58.1% for the 2023-2024 school year, this rate is dramatically higher than the state average (31.4%) and the district average (44.8%), though it is lower than some nearby schools like Susie E. Tolbert (76.0%) and Northwestern Legends (73.0%). The school's recent gains are fragile and could be undermined if attendance doesn't improve. While 5th-grade math (70% proficient) and science are strong, other areas like 4th-grade English Language Arts (28%) and 3rd-grade math (26%) have been weak, suggesting the school needs to replicate its success across all grade levels to sustain its upward trajectory.

233

Students ?

19.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,797

Per pupil spending ?

82.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6725 Hema Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32209

(904) 924-3020

District: Duval

Students who attend Rufus E. Payne Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School
High:	William M. Raines High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.4%

Two or more races:

4.7%

White:

4.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Rufus E. Payne Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 18th percentile in 2016 → 12th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (42% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (58% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg56%

Florida avg62%

1,980^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 18% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

91^st of 118Elementary Schools in the Duval

54^th of 70Duval 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	17.8	1980 of 2240	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	52.2	1063 of 2258	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.3	1212 of 2256	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	1663 of 2240	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	1786 of 2219	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.7	1815 of 2247	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.8	1665 of 2182	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.9	1920 of 2118	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	26.4	1594 of 2112	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.0	1708 of 2087	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	21.9	1714 of 2064	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	21.9	1680 of 2029	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	14.4	1791 of 1984	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	19.6	1703 of 1985	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	17.3	1676 of 1919	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.3	1313 of 1847	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	18.2	1548 of 1789	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	11.0	1658 of 1786	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	5.0	1639 of 1688	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math49%-16 vs state

English Language Arts38%-22 vs state

Science36%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Rufus E. Payne 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 Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6725 Hema Rd	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 924-3020	233	12	19.4	82.8%	10 (4.3%)	206 (88.4%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.7%)	17.8	1980^th of 2240 public elementary schools	11.6%		52.2	1063^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	52.9%	917	38.0	28.0	49.0	62.0	38.0	46.0	36.0	$20,797	$7,621	$13,176
Tiger Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	6079 Bagley Rd	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	Yes	No	No	Yes	(904) 309-6840	198	9	22.0	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	183 (92.4%)	8 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.5%)	20.7	1906^th of 2240 public elementary schools	14.9%		14.8	2039^th of 2258 public elementary schools	9.7%	133	34.0	33.0	52.0	26.0	63.0	44.0	52.0	$16,123	$2,071	$14,052
S. A. Hull Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7528 Hull St	Jacksonville	32219	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3136	188	8	23.5	64.4%	7 (3.7%)	152 (80.9%)	19 (10.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)	36.6	1489^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.5%		30.6	1622^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	28.2%	133	52.0	20.0	63.0	59.0	43.0	67.0	63.0	$15,001	$2,162	$12,839
Pickett Elementary School	Public	K-5	6305 Old Kings Rd	Jacksonville	32254	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 693-7555	156	7	22.2	66.7%	61 (39.1%)	73 (46.8%)	12 (7.7%)	2 (1.3%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	29.3	1683^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	24.9%		57.4	936^th of 2258 public elementary schools	58.5%	747	43.0	40.0	45.0	51.0	59.0	69.0	48.0	$12,848	$1,589	$11,260
George Washington Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2854 W 45th St	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3122	297	13	22.8	83.5%	14 (4.7%)	252 (84.8%)	13 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.1%)	7.8	2174^th of 2240 public elementary schools	2.9%		10.3	2144^th of 2258 public elementary schools	5.0%	30	16.0	30.0	33.0	34.0	28.0	55.0	24.0	$10,026	$1,088	$8,938
Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3501 Winton Dr	Jacksonville	32208	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 924-3086	366	26	14.0	71.3%	22 (6.0%)	319 (87.2%)	16 (4.4%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	13.6	2068^th of 2240 public elementary schools	7.7%		15.7	2020^th of 2258 public elementary schools	10.5%	48	33.0	41.0	56.0	44.0	32.0	48.0	33.0	$15,645	$2,469	$13,175
Northwestern Legends Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 W 45th St	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3100	433	22	19.6	84.8%	7 (1.6%)	378 (87.3%)	15 (3.5%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.2%)	23 (5.3%)	13.6	2067^th of 2240 public elementary schools	7.7%		19.2	1936^th of 2258 public elementary schools	14.3%	131	21.0	41.0	45.0	28.0	58.0	38.0	30.0	$12,014	$2,082	$9,933
Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4346 Roanoke Blvd	Jacksonville	32208	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3077	758	40	18.9	75.5%	46 (6.1%)	649 (85.6%)	34 (4.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.3%)	31.4	1638^th of 2240 public elementary schools	26.9%		37.7	1428^th of 2258 public elementary schools	36.8%	210	36.0	53.0	47.0	52.0	67.0	63.0	42.0	$9,661	$921	$8,740
Biltmore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2101 W Palm Ave	Jacksonville	32254	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 693-7969	206	12	17.1	74.3%	10 (4.9%)	167 (81.1%)	18 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	10 (4.9%)	3.7	2211^th of 2240 public elementary schools	1.3%		10.5	2138^th of 2258 public elementary schools	5.3%	73	18.0	38.0	30.0	20.0	40.0	16.0	19.0	$16,303	$1,520	$14,783
R. V. Daniels Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1951 W 15th St	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 630-6872	121	8	15.1	71.9%	6 (5.0%)	106 (87.6%)	4 (3.3%)	4 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$27,312	$9,519	$17,794

Frequently Asked Questions about Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

What district is Rufus E. Payne Elementary School in?

Duval

Is Rufus E. Payne Elementary School a good school?

Rufus E. Payne Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.6% of Florida elementary schools.

How many students attend Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 233 students attended Rufus E. Payne Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Rufus E. Payne Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Rufus E. Payne Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School
High : William M. Raines High School

What is the racial makeup of Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?

Students at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School are 88% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% White, 2% Hispanic.

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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.