Julington Creek Elementary School

Julington Creek Elementary School is a large, high-performing PK-5 school in Saint Johns, FL, serving 923 students within the top-ranked St. Johns County School District. This school stands out for its exceptional and consistent academic performance, with proficiency rates of 75-86% across all subjects—significantly higher than state averages of 60-66%—and a remarkable 5-star rating every year since at least 2015-2016.

The most striking differentiator for Julington Creek is its incredibly low chronic absenteeism rate of just 11.4%, which is dramatically lower than the district average of 20.1% and the state average of 31.4%. This "absenteeism advantage" is even more pronounced when compared to nearby schools in the Duval County district, such as Mandarin Oaks Elementary School (24.0%) and Loretto Elementary School (33.0%), where rates are two to three times higher. Math is a particular strength, with proficiency rates of 83-86% in grades 3-5, outpacing state averages by 17-21 percentage points. The school achieves these top-tier results with a relatively lean budget of $9,308 per student, which is lower than nearby peers like Hickory Creek Elementary School ($10,903) and Cunningham Creek Elementary School ($10,688).

While Julington Creek remains an excellent choice, its state percentile rank has slipped from the 99th percentile (2015-2016) to the 92nd percentile (2025-2026), suggesting other schools are improving at a faster pace. For families considering options, Patriot Oaks Academy, a K-8 school just 4.5 miles away, offers comparable or slightly higher test scores, even lower chronic absenteeism (6.8%), and advanced coursework like Algebra 1 and Geometry that Julington Creek does not provide. Overall, Julington Creek Elementary offers a highly supportive, academically rigorous environment where strong attendance and community engagement drive outstanding results.