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Stephen Foster Elementary School

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

1957^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Stephen Foster Elementary School is a public magnet elementary school located in Gainesville, Florida, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 386 students. The school is part of the Alachua District, which is ranked 45 out of 67 districts in Florida and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Stephen Foster Elementary School has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 28.3% to 31.6% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores are generally lower than the Alachua District and Florida state averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math were 10-20 percentage points below the district and state averages. Additionally, Stephen Foster Elementary School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 63.05% to 65.8% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby Littlewood Elementary (47.36%) and Glen Springs Elementary (44.92%).

The analysis of Stephen Foster Elementary School's data reveals that the school's performance has been declining over the years, as evidenced by its decreasing statewide ranking and star rating from SchoolDigger. The school ranked 1957 out of 2258 Florida elementary schools in the 2024-2025 school year, with a 1-star rating, down from a 3-star rating in the 2016-2017 school year. The nearby schools, such as Littlewood Elementary, Boulware Springs Charter, and Glen Springs Elementary, generally perform better than Stephen Foster Elementary School in terms of test scores, chronic absenteeism, and free and reduced lunch rates, suggesting that the challenges faced by Stephen Foster Elementary School may be unique or more pronounced compared to its neighboring schools.

403

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

59.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3800 NW 6th St
Gainesville, FL 32609

(352) 955-6706

District: Alachua

Students who attend Stephen Foster Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

Westwood Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.4%

White:

22.3%

Hispanic:

16.6%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Stephen Foster Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2014 → 13th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (40% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 71 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg53%

Florida avg58%

1,957^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 58 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 28Elementary Schools in the Alachua

45^th of 67Alachua 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
2025	18.7	1957 of 2258	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.2	1612 of 2256	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.9	1531 of 2240	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.4	1279 of 2219	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.9	1134 of 2247	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.8	717 of 2182	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.8	683 of 2118	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.2	762 of 2112	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	70.1	592 of 2087	71.6%	★★★★☆
2014	82.5	325 of 2064	84.3%	★★★★☆
2013	81.7	322 of 2029	84.1%	★★★★☆
2012	79.0	366 of 1984	81.6%	★★★★☆
2011	74.9	470 of 1985	76.3%	★★★★☆
2010	79.4	333 of 1919	82.6%	★★★★☆
2009	72.8	467 of 1847	74.7%	★★★★☆
2008	83.6	235 of 1789	86.9%	★★★★☆
2007	63.0	695 of 1786	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	70.3	509 of 1688	69.8%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts43%-14 vs state

Math39%-22 vs state

Science33%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Stephen Foster Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)			FAST Math (2025)			Statewide Science Science (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	Total
Stephen Foster Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	3800 NW 6th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 955-6706	403	29	13.9	59.1%	90 (22.3%)	187 (46.4%)	67 (16.6%)	24 (6.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.4%)	18.7	1957^th of 2258 public elementary schools	13.3%		30.2	1612^th of 2256 public elementary schools	28.5%	345	38.0	46.0	44.0	36.0	43.0	37.0	33.0
C. W. Norton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 NW 45th Ave	Gainesville	32605	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6765	540	40	13.5	44.4%	234 (43.3%)	140 (25.9%)	99 (18.3%)	21 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.3%)	42.4	1290^th of 2258 public elementary schools	42.9%		38.1	1397^th of 2256 public elementary schools	38.1%	107	55.0	54.0	51.0	40.0	55.0	54.0	57.0
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	3500 NE 15th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 955-6715	312	25	12.4	89.7%	13 (4.2%)	263 (84.3%)	22 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	2.9	2235^th of 2258 public elementary schools	1.0%		4.3	2229^th of 2256 public elementary schools	1.2%	6	29.0	19.0	25.0	21.0	11.0	13.0	18.0
The One Room School House Project	Public, Charter	K-5	4180 NE 15th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 376-4014	176	11	16.0	71.0%	38 (21.6%)	104 (59.1%)	11 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	22 (12.5%)	41.2	1324^th of 2258 public elementary schools	41.4%		36.8	1436^th of 2256 public elementary schools	36.3%	112	62.0	50.0	50.0	62.0	35.0	50.0	38.0
Boulware Springs Charter	Public, Charter	K-5	1303 NE 23rd Ave	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 244-9732	171	14	12.2	56.7%	37 (21.6%)	102 (59.6%)	19 (11.1%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.4%)	69.8	648^th of 2258 public elementary schools	71.3%		75.6	513^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.3%	135	67.0	66.0	52.0	73.0	77.0	86.0	43.0
W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School	Public	K-5	1250 NE 18th Ave	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6713	463	32	14.3	86.6%	24 (5.2%)	371 (80.1%)	34 (7.3%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	7.5	2189^th of 2258 public elementary schools	3.1%		6.3	2209^th of 2256 public elementary schools	2.1%	20	23.0	31.0	31.0	35.0	36.0	27.0	30.0
Glen Springs Elementary School	Public	K-5	2826 NW 31st Ave	Gainesville	32605	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6708	429	29	14.7	38.2%	198 (46.2%)	111 (25.9%)	59 (13.8%)	18 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.8%)	56.3	966^th of 2258 public elementary schools	57.2%		63.8	778^th of 2256 public elementary schools	65.5%	188	62.0	72.0	60.0	51.0	66.0	56.0	50.0
Alachua Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual	K-5	1108 NW 7th Ave	Gainesville	32601	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	Yes	No	(352) 955-6840	29	0		44.8%	11 (37.9%)	10 (34.5%)	6 (20.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.9%)								(n/a)
Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary	Public	K-5	1912 NW 5th Ave	Gainesville	32603	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6705	501	36	13.7	37.7%	165 (32.9%)	126 (25.1%)	163 (32.5%)	24 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	27.6	1708^th of 2258 public elementary schools	24.4%		38.5	1379^th of 2256 public elementary schools	38.9%	329	39.0	57.0	46.0	37.0	51.0	46.0	40.0
Littlewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1262 NW 31st Drive	Gainesville	32605	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6712	714	50	14.2	45.5%	250 (35.0%)	222 (31.1%)	152 (21.3%)	33 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (8.0%)	65	756^th of 2258 public elementary schools	66.5%		52.4	1032^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	54.3%	276	68.0	55.0	61.0	71.0	58.0	70.0	63.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Stephen Foster Elementary School

Is Stephen Foster Elementary School a good school?

Stephen Foster Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Florida elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Stephen Foster Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Stephen Foster Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Westwood Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Stephen Foster Elementary School?

Students at Stephen Foster Elementary School are 46% African American, 22% White, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What district is Stephen Foster Elementary School in?

Alachua

How many students attend Stephen Foster Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 403 students attended Stephen Foster Elementary School.

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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.