Waterleaf Elementary

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:
456th of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,151 Help


Students who attend Waterleaf Elementary usually attend:

High:    Sandalwood High School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.2 Help
Number of students:  675

Racial breakdown:

White:
41.6%
African American:
21.0%
Hispanic:
17.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  46.1% Help


 See top rated Florida elementary schools

 Compare Waterleaf Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Waterleaf Elementary ranks better than 79.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 18th among 119 ranked elementary schools in the Duval School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2025 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.63. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Student population at Waterleaf Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (41.6%), African American (21%), Hispanic (17.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 46.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waterleaf Elementary is 12.2, which is the 8th best among 119 elementary schools in the Duval School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Waterleaf Elementary employs 55 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterleaf Elementary is $14,151, which is the 17th 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 54th of 67 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Waterleaf Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Waterleaf Elementary?

Rank History for Waterleaf Elementary

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

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

Waterleaf Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.7)
33%

0%

0%

33%

33%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Open Quote 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

Open Quote 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

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2012 234 158 65 55 3 3 27 0 545
2013 297 161 74 72 2 1 41 0 648
2014 318 171 82 72 4 1 45 0 693
2015 363 181 88 89 3 0 42 0 766
2016 400 179 94 104 5 1 43 0 826
2017 352 198 103 106 4 4 40 0 807
2018 308 182 98 132 4 4 42 0 770
2019 306 160 87 144 3 3 44 0 747
2020 316 157 80 147 3 4 41 0 748
2021 293 161 71 129 1 2 42 0 699
2022 259 147 66 123 1 2 46 0 644
2023 293 129 77 119 1 0 54 0 673
2024 281 142 76 117 2 1 56 0 675

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

Help
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

Help
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

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 655th of 2182 Elementary schoolsRanks 574th 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)6275
 13%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Duval)5147
 4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5853
 5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waterleaf Elementary)7179
 8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Duval)6156
 5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)6258
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waterleaf Elementary)6654
 12%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Duval)5250
 2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5857
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waterleaf Elementary)8364
 19%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Duval)6458
 6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6461
 3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Waterleaf Elementary)6248
 14%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Duval)5047
 3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5655
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waterleaf Elementary)5765
 8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Duval)5750
 7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6052
 8%
5th Grade Science (Waterleaf Elementary)6359
 4%
   5th Grade Science (Duval)4948
 1%
   5th Grade Science (Florida)5351
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students747673
 9.9%
African American160129
 19.4%
American Indian31
 66.7%
Asian8777
 11.5%
Hispanic144119
 17.4%
Pacific Islander30
 100%
White306293
 4.2%
Two or More Races4454
 22.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients37.2%44.7%
 7.5%


Schools Near Waterleaf Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Waterleaf Elementary

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

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

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

Students who attend Waterleaf Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Sandalwood High School


Rate Waterleaf Elementary!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Waterleaf Elementary!




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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 42 milliseconds.
0