Summary:
Youngstown, Florida, is home to a single public school, Waller Elementary School, a small, rural school serving grades Pre-K through 5th with 423 students in the Bay County School District.
Waller Elementary School presents a complex picture for parents. On one hand, the school offers a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.4:1 and spends a relatively high $13,783 per student, suggesting smaller class sizes and significant resources. However, academic performance is declining, with the school's state ranking dropping from the 52nd percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024 to a projected 30th percentile (1 star) for 2025-2026. A major red flag is the chronic absenteeism rate of 46.8%, which is significantly higher than the district (35.3%) and state (31.4%) averages. This, combined with a high poverty rate where 70.21% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, likely contributes to the academic struggles despite the available funding.
There are notable bright spots and specific challenges. The school's 5th-grade Science scores are a clear strength, with 55% proficiency in 2024-2025, matching the state average and exceeding the district. In contrast, 5th-grade Math is a critical weakness, with only 38% proficiency—a 19-point gap from the state average. Overall, while Waller Elementary has resources and a strong science program, the combination of declining rankings, high absenteeism, and poor math scores indicates a school facing significant challenges that require focused intervention, particularly around attendance and math instruction.
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