Waterleaf Elementary

Q: Is Waterleaf Elementary a good school?

Waterleaf Elementary ranks 456 th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Waterleaf Elementary is a public elementary school in Jacksonville, Florida, serving 675 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Duval School District, which is ranked 54 out of 67 districts in the state.

Waterleaf Elementary consistently outperforms the Duval District and the state of Florida in standardized test scores across various grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Waterleaf's 5th-grade students scored 73% proficient or better in Statewide Science, compared to 52% for Duval and 55% for Florida. The school also performs well in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students scoring significantly higher than the district and state averages. However, Waterleaf has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 44.8% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages.

Waterleaf Elementary generally outperforms nearby charter schools, such as Global Outreach Academy Intercoastal and Duval Charter School At Coastal, in academic performance across various subjects and grade levels. The school's performance is comparable to or slightly lower than some of the higher-performing public schools in the area, such as Sabal Palm Elementary and Abess Park Elementary, which have similar or better academic outcomes and lower chronic absenteeism rates.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

450 Kernan Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32225

(904) 565-8000

District: Duval

SchoolDigger Rank:
456^th of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,151

Students who attend Waterleaf Elementary usually attend:

High:

Sandalwood High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

Number of students: 675

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.6%

African American:

21.0%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Waterleaf Elementary ranks better than 79.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 18^th among 119 ranked elementary schools in the Duval School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2025 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.63. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Waterleaf Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (41.6%), African American (21%), Hispanic (17.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waterleaf Elementary is 12.2, which is the 8^th best among 119 elementary schools in the Duval School District. (See more...)

Compare Waterleaf Elementary employs 55 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterleaf Elementary is $14,151, which is the 17^th highest among 119 elementary schools in the Duval School District. (See more...)

Schooldigger Rankings:

Waterleaf Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Duval:

SchoolDigger ranks Duval 54^th of 67 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Waterleaf Elementary.

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Rank History for Waterleaf Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2012	61.85	754^th	1984	62.0%
2013	74.75	459^th	2029	77.4%
2014	77.35	419^th	2064	79.7%
2016	63.33	750^th	2087	64.1%
2017	73.59	539^th	2112	74.5%
2018	73.05	538^th	2118	74.6%
2019	68.78	655^th	2182	70.0%
2021	67.83	689^th	2247	69.3%
2022	67.63	674^th	2219	69.6%
2023	72.48	574^th	2240	74.4%
2024	71.30	614^th	2256	72.8%
2025	77.63	456^th	2258	79.8%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.7)

33%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, October 12, 2016

This school is way over-crowded. A mom was bragging about using her parents address to get her child enrolled, even though it wasn't their assigned school, and the principle did nothing about it when she was told of the situation. Nice to know I'm paying taxes for her kids to go to school. There are several students who shouldn't be here. None of our teachers have their own plan just coordinated worksheets that everyone in the same grade level gets. The kids sit all day and they are only teaching to test. It was an awesome school but now it's turning ghetto. You can tell by the new students AND parents attitudes. They have special needs classes that have only about five students in each class which is how they bring down their student/teacher ratio. Don't be fooled! I will be looking into an alternative school for my child. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, October 2, 2016

I'd also like to add that the statistics on here are just wrong wrong wrong. My child was in VPK for the 2015-2016 school year and at the time there were well-over 700 students, my source is the principle. The student teacher ratio has gone way way up. There are 36, 36!!! students in my child's kindergarten class with two teachers. Other classes have 20 students to one teacher. Like I said before, they're letting in students who shouldn't be there and it looks like this will continue until the staff decides to put the childrens needs first instead of the money they get for each child. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Waterleaf Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	234	158	65	55	3	3	27	545
2013	297	161	74	72	2	1	41	648
2014	318	171	82	72	4	1	45	693
2015	363	181	88	89	3	0	42	766
2016	400	179	94	104	5	1	43	826
2017	352	198	103	106	4	4	40	807
2018	308	182	98	132	4	4	42	770
2019	306	160	87	144	3	3	44	747
2020	316	157	80	147	3	4	41	748
2021	293	161	71	129	1	2	42	699
2022	259	147	66	123	1	2	46	644
2023	293	129	77	119	1	0	54	673
2024	281	142	76	117	2	1	56	675

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waterleaf Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	545	42.0	12.9	40.7
2013	648	47.0	13.7	35.5
2014	693	52.0	13.3	43.4
2015	766	58.0	13.2	39.7
2016	826	59.0	14.0	44.8
2017	807	63.0	12.8	43.2
2018	770	61.0	12.6	39.6
2019	747	54.0	13.8	37.2
2020	748	51.0	14.6	36.2
2021	699	53.0	13.1	38.6
2022	644	53.0	12.1	43.8
2023	673	54.0	12.4	44.7
2024	675	55.0	12.2	46.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Waterleaf Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	545	42.0	12.9	40.7
2013	648	47.0	13.7	35.5
2014	693	52.0	13.3	43.4
2015	766	58.0	13.2	39.7
2016	826	59.0	14.0	44.8
2017	807	63.0	12.8	43.2
2018	770	61.0	12.6	39.6
2019	747	54.0	13.8	37.2
2020	748	51.0	14.6	36.2
2021	699	53.0	13.1	38.6
2022	644	53.0	12.1	43.8
2023	673	54.0	12.4	44.7
2024	675	55.0	12.2	46.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waterleaf Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$858 (8.5%)	$9,212 (91.5%)	$10,070
2019	$879 (8.5%)	$9,428 (91.5%)	$10,307
2020	$779 (7.7%)	$9,337 (92.3%)	$10,115
2021	$1,060 (9.3%)	$10,287 (90.7%)	$11,347
2022	$2,456 (18.8%)	$10,581 (81.2%)	$13,037
2023	$2,299 (17.7%)	$10,667 (82.3%)	$12,966
2024	$1,970 (13.9%)	$12,181 (86.1%)	$14,151

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Waterleaf Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 655^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 574^th of 2240 Elementary schools	4.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waterleaf Elementary)	62	75	13%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Duval)	51	47	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waterleaf Elementary)	71	79	8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Duval)	61	56	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waterleaf Elementary)	66	54	12%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Duval)	52	50	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waterleaf Elementary)	83	64	19%
4th Grade Mathematics (Duval)	64	58	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Waterleaf Elementary)	62	48	14%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Duval)	50	47	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waterleaf Elementary)	57	65	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Duval)	57	50	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Waterleaf Elementary)	63	59	4%
5th Grade Science (Duval)	49	48	1%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	747	673	9.9%
African American	160	129	19.4%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	87	77	11.5%
Hispanic	144	119	17.4%
Pacific Islander	3	0	100%
White	306	293	4.2%
Two or More Races	44	54	22.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.2%	44.7%	7.5%

Schools Near Waterleaf Elementary

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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Geometry (2025)	EOC Biology 1 (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Waterleaf Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	450 Kernan Blvd N	Jacksonville	32225	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	No	(904) 565-8000	675	55	12.2	46.1%	281 (41.6%)	142 (21.0%)	117 (17.3%)	76 (11.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (8.3%)	77.6	456^th of 2258 public elementary schools	79.8%		71.3	614^th of 2256 public elementary schools	72.8%	158	65.0	64.0	67.0				76.0	71.0	78.0				73.0						$14,151	$1,970	$12,181
Sabal Palm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Kernan Blvd N	Jacksonville	32225	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	No	(904) 221-7169	682	42	16.2	35.3%	373 (54.7%)	105 (15.4%)	103 (15.1%)	27 (4.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (10.3%)	71.9	585^th of 2258 public elementary schools	74.1%		72.3	587^th of 2256 public elementary schools	74.0%	2	63.0	62.0	58.0				74.0	76.0	70.0				67.0						$11,525	$1,763	$9,763
Abess Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12731 Abess Blvd	Jacksonville	32225	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 220-1260	524	38	13.7	50.8%	190 (36.3%)	130 (24.8%)	87 (16.6%)	39 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	72 (13.7%)	87.2	242^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	89.3%		67.2	696^th of 2256 public elementary schools	69.1%	454	67.0	76.0	71.0				83.0	85.0	81.0				84.0						$14,506	$2,250	$12,255
Kernan Trail Elementary School	Public	K-5	2281 Kernan Blvd S	Jacksonville	32246	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	No	(904) 220-1310	638	42	15.1	41.2%	263 (41.2%)	133 (20.8%)	142 (22.3%)	48 (7.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (7.7%)	73.6	540^th of 2258 public elementary schools	76.1%		65.7	733^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	67.5%	193	60.0	59.0	65.0				76.0	72.0	74.0				73.0						$11,295	$1,652	$9,643
Lone Star Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	10400 Lone Star Rd	Jacksonville	32225	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 565-2711	340	23	14.7	57.6%	116 (34.1%)	128 (37.6%)	50 (14.7%)	14 (4.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (8.8%)	63.3	794^th of 2258 public elementary schools	64.8%		55	971^st of 2256 public elementary schools	57.0%	177	64.0	74.0	69.0				64.0	56.0	54.0				60.0						$11,733	$1,525	$10,209
Brookview Elementary School	Public	K-5	10450 Theresa Dr	Jacksonville	32246	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 565-2720	395	26	15.1	68.9%	131 (33.2%)	83 (21.0%)	116 (29.4%)	30 (7.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (8.1%)	38.3	1410^th of 2258 public elementary schools	37.6%		43.5	1253^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	44.5%	157	52.0	49.0	35.0				58.0	63.0	51.0				49.0						$11,261	$2,269	$8,992
Global Outreach Academy Intercoastal	Public, Charter	K-8	13720 McCormick Rd	Jacksonville	32225	Duval County	Duval	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(904) 551-7104	312	0	10.0	48.7%	186 (59.6%)	17 (5.4%)	86 (27.6%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.8%)	50.3	1109^th of 2258 public elementary schools	50.9%		63.9	776^th of 2256 public elementary schools	65.6%	333	66.0	49.0	47.0	50.0	69.0		75.0	71.0	44.0	74.0	66.0		33.0		88.0			84.0	$10,327	$118	$10,209
River City Science Academy Intracoastal	Public, Charter	K-8	2002 San Pablo Rd South	Jacksonville	32224	Duval County	Duval	Yes	No	No	No	(904) 855-8010	820	0	17.5	45.4%	406 (49.5%)	111 (13.5%)	177 (21.6%)	36 (4.4%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (10.1%)	85.6	279^th of 2258 public elementary schools	87.6%		81.4	370^th of 2256 public elementary schools	83.6%	91	70.0	72.0	71.0	79.0	83.0	70.0	84.0	90.0	81.0	82.0	83.0	59.0	75.0	44.0	100.0	100.0	98.0	84.0	$9,221	$133	$9,088
Alimacani Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2051 San Pablo Rd S	Jacksonville	32224	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	No	(904) 221-7101	792	51	15.5	27.5%	493 (62.2%)	67 (8.5%)	155 (19.6%)	26 (3.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	48 (6.1%)	78.9	428^th of 2258 public elementary schools	81.0%		79.4	424^th of 2256 public elementary schools	81.2%	4	66.0	67.0	64.0				73.0	88.0	75.0				70.0						$11,224	$1,830	$9,394
Duval Charter School At Coastal	Public, Charter	K-8	12800 Beach Blvd	Jacksonville	32224	Duval County	Duval	Yes	No	No	No	(904) 512-6757	1,098	1	1098.0	58.7%	453 (41.3%)	159 (14.5%)	293 (26.7%)	113 (10.3%)	5 (0.5%)	10 (0.9%)	65 (5.9%)	40.6	1338^th of 2258 public elementary schools	40.7%		37.1	1428^th of 2256 public elementary schools	36.7%	90	52.0	47.0	55.0	54.0	50.0	58.0	57.0	38.0	55.0	63.0	36.0	45.0	53.0	36.0	95.0	93.0	100.0	60.0	$9,139	$2,058	$7,081

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterleaf Elementary

What district is Waterleaf Elementary in?

Duval

What is the racial makeup of Waterleaf Elementary?

Students at Waterleaf Elementary are 42% White, 21% African American, 17% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend Waterleaf Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 675 students attended Waterleaf Elementary.

Is Waterleaf Elementary a good school?

Waterleaf Elementary ranks 456^th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Waterleaf Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waterleaf Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Sandalwood High 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.