Lewis E. Wadsworth Elementary

Lewis E. Wadsworth Elementary in Palm Coast, FL, serves 740 students in grades PK through 5 and is part of the high-performing Flagler district, though the school itself has recently experienced a notable decline in its state ranking.

Wadsworth has historically been a solidly average school, but its most recent data shows a drop to a 2-star rating (49th percentile), a significant change from its previous 3-star status. This decline is most pronounced in the upper grades; while 3rd graders outperform state averages in both English Language Arts and Math, 5th graders now score well below district and state peers. This "fade-out" effect is more severe here than at nearby schools like Rymfire Elementary, which has a similar student population and spending per student but achieves stronger results. A major concern is rising chronic absenteeism, which has jumped to 35.1%—the highest rate among local Flagler elementary schools and a likely contributor to the academic struggles. Interestingly, the school has seen a sharp drop in students eligible for free/reduced lunch (from 67.6% to 46.5%), yet this positive socioeconomic shift has not translated into better test scores, suggesting other factors are at play.

Despite these challenges, Wadsworth has some strong foundations. It maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.7:1 and spends slightly more per student ($12,342) than higher-performing district peers like Old Kings Elementary and Belle Terre Elementary. The school's early-grade success indicates effective instruction for younger students, but the sharp drop-off by 5th grade and the absenteeism crisis suggest a need for targeted interventions. For parents, this school is at a crossroads: it has the resources and early potential to improve, but must urgently address its upper-grade performance and attendance issues to reverse its recent decline.