Elementary Schools in St. Johns

This analysis examines 28 elementary-level schools within the St. Johns County School District in Florida, a district ranked 4th out of 70 in the state, serving students from kindergarten through 5th grade (and up to 8th grade in K-8 academies) across a diverse range of communities from affluent coastal areas to more rural and urban settings.

The district is dominated by high-performing K-8 "Academies," with Ponte Vedra Palm Valley- Rawlings Elementary School leading the pack in the 99th percentile, followed closely by Ocean Palms Elementary School and Palm Valley Academy. However, a stark divide exists: schools in affluent areas like Ponte Vedra boast poverty rates as low as 7% and top-tier scores, while schools in older parts of St. Augustine, such as James A. Webster Elementary School and South Woods Elementary School, face poverty rates over 70% and rank in the bottom 40th percentile. Palencia Elementary School is a notable rising star, jumping from the 86th to the 93rd percentile, while St. Augustine Public Montessori School is an anomaly, ranking low despite very low poverty.

Key metrics reveal that chronic absenteeism (averaging 20.1% district-wide) and poverty are strongly linked to lower performance, with Patriot Oaks Academy having the lowest absenteeism at 6.8% and South Woods the highest at 34.1%. Interestingly, higher spending per student (up to $14,594 at Ketterlinus Elementary School) and smaller class sizes are directed at struggling schools but have not fully closed the achievement gap. A systemic "7th grade math slump" is observed across all academies, with proficiency dropping sharply from 6th to 7th grade, suggesting a curriculum challenge. Overall, St. Johns offers exceptional options for families, but the data reveals a "two districts" reality where location and socioeconomic factors heavily influence outcomes.