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Waterford Elementary

Q: Is Waterford Elementary a good school?

Waterford Elementary ranks 661 st of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

661^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Waterford Elementary in Orlando, FL, is a mid-sized school serving 532 students in grades PK through 5 within the Orange district, where about 38% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school has earned a consistent 4-star rating from Schooldigger for five consecutive years, standing out for its exceptional early literacy: in 2025-2026, 80% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA), which is 17 points above the district average and 20 points above the state average. This makes Waterford a top performer in 3rd-grade ELA among nearby schools, though its math scores, while strong, are slightly lower than peers like Cypress Springs Elementary (85% proficient in 4th-grade math) and Sunrise Elementary (84%).

One interesting pattern is a notable dip in ELA scores after 3rd grade: in 2025-2026, 4th-grade proficiency dropped to 59%, a 21-point decline that has been consistent over recent years. This may reflect a need for stronger support as reading demands become more complex. Additionally, Waterford has shown impressive recovery from pandemic-era challenges—chronic absenteeism spiked to 42.7% in 2021-2022 but has since dropped to 21.8% in 2023-2024, a rate that is better than the district (35.2%) but higher than high-performing neighbors like Timber Lakes Elementary (15.1%) and Sunrise Elementary (16.5%).

Waterford also stands out for its efficiency: it spends the least per student ($11,780) among 10 nearby schools, yet achieves strong results, contrasting with Bonneville Elementary, which spends the most ($19,687) but has a lower 2-star rating. Geographically, Waterford sits between Sunrise Elementary (high performance, low poverty) and Camelot Elementary (similar poverty rate, slightly higher absenteeism), making its consistent 4-star performance a testament to effective resource use and community engagement.

532

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,780

Per pupil spending ?

38%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12950 Lake Underhill Rd
Orlando, FL 32828

(407) 249-6410

District: Orange

Students who attend Waterford Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Discovery Middle
High:	Timber Creek High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.9%

White:

26.5%

African American:

9.8%

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Compare Waterford Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 71st percentile in 2016 → 70th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (69% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Above the Florida median (70th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg65%

Florida avg62%

661^st of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

59^th of 161Elementary Schools in the Orange

30^th of 70Orange 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	68.8	661 of 2240	70.5%	★★★★☆
2025	78.1	448 of 2258	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	71.5	605 of 2256	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.2	655 of 2240	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	72.9	571 of 2219	74.3%	★★★★☆
2021	84.5	312 of 2247	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	60.1	839 of 2182	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.6	717 of 2118	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.5	667 of 2112	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.8	598 of 2087	71.3%	★★★★☆
2014	73.2	503 of 2064	75.6%	★★★★☆
2013	74.8	458 of 2029	77.4%	★★★★☆
2012	77.2	418 of 1984	78.9%	★★★★☆
2011	74.6	477 of 1985	76.0%	★★★★☆
2010	75.2	431 of 1919	77.5%	★★★★☆
2009	77.2	379 of 1847	79.5%	★★★★☆
2008	75.8	395 of 1789	77.9%	★★★★☆
2007	71.7	493 of 1786	72.4%	★★★★☆
2006	83.4	238 of 1688	85.9%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math71%+7 vs state

Science69%+9 vs state

English Language Arts68%+8 vs state

1.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, March 4, 2012

The previous review on here that you will not get much done unless you are PTA I believe is true. I also feel that the work load is not what it should be. Unless you are on some sort of bogus commitee this place isn't really a great one. It feels like it's run by bored stay at home mothers that have nothing else to do. We have not lived in this area long and we are considering relocation to a better school zone. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Awful Principal, does not want to help parents, does not want to listen to any concern, his answer to everything is "Let me address the issue" meaning I will not do anything about it. Third grade teacher that my son has, its been name by a fairly amount of other mother as the worst teacher of the school. Principal does not care for that. Teacher send barely any homework, and test are rarely. My kid is not learning anything and again Principal doesn't care. Teacher felt asleep in classroom. Principal said that wasn't true, technically implying that my son was lying. Principal really does not care for kids in that school unless you are part of the PTA, that the only way you can get anything to be done in that school. People that believe the ratings this school have are believing a lie. Don't fall for it as I did. Also Principal consider teaching our kids spelling is unnecessary since there are computer programs that fix errors for us. That was his excuse on why my son in 3rd grade doesn't work on spelling anymore. Please open your eyes parents, this kind of people shouldn't be in charge of the school our kids goes to. They are allowing our kids to be mediocre, is that what the future holds for our kids soon enough math won't be necessary anymore since calculators do math for us. I never expect it that kind of answer coming from the principal of a school. Keep this in mind when choosing where you are going to send your kids to school. Close Quote

Schools Near Waterford Elementary

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
Waterford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12950 Lake Underhill Rd	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 249-6410	532	32	16.6	38.0%	141 (26.5%)	52 (9.8%)	292 (54.9%)	23 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.3%)	68.8	661^st of 2240 public elementary schools	70.5%		78.1	448^th of 2258 public elementary schools	80.2%	213	80.0	59.0	67.0	65.0	77.0	70.0	69.0	$11,780	$690	$11,090
Sunrise Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Lone Palm Rd	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 384-1585	456	33	13.8	24.1%	201 (44.1%)	44 (9.6%)	154 (33.8%)	28 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.1%)	78.5	419^th of 2240 public elementary schools	81.3%		84.7	298^th of 2258 public elementary schools	86.8%	121	85.0	76.0	67.0	85.0	84.0	70.0	66.0	$15,359	$1,242	$14,118
Camelot Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14501 Waterford Chase Pkwy	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 207-3875	545	36	15.1	42.6%	156 (28.6%)	74 (13.6%)	258 (47.3%)	30 (5.5%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.7%)	20 (3.7%)	63.8	791^st of 2240 public elementary schools	64.7%		73.9	534^th of 2258 public elementary schools	76.4%	257	65.0	66.0	61.0	67.0	66.0	72.0	70.0	$13,825	$1,112	$12,713
Lawton Chiles Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11001 Bloomfield Dr	Orlando	32825	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 737-1470	503	33	15.2	65.2%	82 (16.3%)	77 (15.3%)	320 (63.6%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.2%)	55.5	1002^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	55.3%		65	755^th of 2258 public elementary schools	66.6%	247	43.0	60.0	60.0	50.0	71.0	78.0	75.0	$13,693	$1,567	$12,127
Castle Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1245 N Avalon Park Blvd	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 207-7428	555	39	14.2	55.5%	92 (16.6%)	90 (16.2%)	326 (58.7%)	26 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.6%)	48.2	1188^th of 2240 public elementary schools	47.0%		53.8	1018^th of 2258 public elementary schools	54.9%	170	60.0	53.0	53.0	76.0	58.0	59.0	59.0	$13,693	$1,802	$11,892
Timber Lakes Elementary	Public	K-5	2149 Crown Hill Blvd	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 249-6177	610	38	16.0	25.1%	188 (30.8%)	79 (13.0%)	251 (41.1%)	52 (8.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.2%)	81.1	360^th of 2240 public elementary schools	83.9%		85.7	277^th of 2258 public elementary schools	87.7%	83	67.0	71.0	82.0	69.0	81.0	80.0	79.0	$11,306	$732	$10,575
Andover Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 Sanctuary Point Blvd	Orlando	32825	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 658-6800	629	41	15.3	38.8%	148 (23.5%)	105 (16.7%)	322 (51.2%)	39 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.1%)	80	390^th of 2240 public elementary schools	82.6%		78.9	427^th of 2258 public elementary schools	81.1%	37	67.0	87.0	74.0	72.0	78.0	72.0	87.0	$13,584	$1,287	$12,297
Bonneville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14700 Sussex Dr	Orlando	32826	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 249-6290	375	32	11.7	62.4%	81 (21.6%)	31 (8.3%)	247 (65.9%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.1%)	41.4	1364^th of 2240 public elementary schools	39.1%		39.9	1367^th of 2258 public elementary schools	39.5%	3	48.0	55.0	58.0	57.0	62.0	49.0	62.0	$19,687	$2,776	$16,911
Stone Lakes Elementary	Public	K-5	15200 Stoneybrook Blvd	Orlando	32828	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 207-7793	617	39	15.8	28.4%	234 (37.9%)	47 (7.6%)	237 (38.4%)	61 (9.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	33 (5.3%)	80.6	376^th of 2240 public elementary schools	83.2%		78	450^th of 2258 public elementary schools	80.1%	74	76.0	72.0	70.0	80.0	75.0	75.0	82.0	$13,248	$1,010	$12,238
Cypress Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10401 Cypress Pavilion Pkwy	Orlando	32825	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 249-6950	619	44	14.0	32.3%	186 (30.0%)	61 (9.9%)	289 (46.7%)	46 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (5.8%)	86.3	223^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	90.0%		86.9	247^th of 2258 public elementary schools	89.1%	24	84.0	69.0	78.0	90.0	85.0	80.0	74.0	$14,361	$1,098	$13,262

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterford Elementary

Is Waterford Elementary a good school?

Waterford Elementary ranks 661^st of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Waterford Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waterford Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Discovery Middle
High : Timber Creek High

What is the racial makeup of Waterford Elementary?

Students at Waterford Elementary are 55% Hispanic, 27% White, 10% African American, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Waterford Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 532 students attended Waterford Elementary.

What district is Waterford Elementary in?

Orange

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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.