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Kate M. Smith Elementary School

Q: Is Kate M. Smith Elementary School a good school?

Kate M. Smith Elementary School ranks 1130 th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1130^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Kate M. Smith Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Chipley, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 964 students. The school is part of the Washington School District, which is ranked 44 out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kate M. Smith Elementary School generally performs better than the Washington district and the state of Florida in various standardized tests, with higher proficiency rates in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade English Language Arts and Math. However, the school has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 30.9% in 2022-2023 to 43.1% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 55.5% to 62.35% over the past few years, suggesting a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Jackson County Early Childhood Center, Vernon Elementary School, Cottondale Elementary School, and Bonifay K-8 School, Kate M. Smith Elementary School generally performs better in terms of test scores, particularly in English Language Arts and Math. However, the school's chronic absenteeism rates are higher than the nearby schools, which is a concerning trend that warrants further investigation and targeted interventions.

933

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,439

Per pupil spending ?

41.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1447 South Blvd
Chipley, FL 32428

(850) 638-6220

District: Washington

Students who attend Kate M. Smith Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Roulhac Middle School
	Vernon Middle School
High:	Chipley High School
	Vernon High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.6%

African American:

17.7%

Two or more races:

8.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Kate M. Smith Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2014 → 50th in 2025

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (43% vs 31% Florida)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg54%

Florida avg58%

1,130^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Washington

44^th of 67Washington 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	49.1	1130 of 2258	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.4	1384 of 2256	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.6	933 of 2240	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.6	1026 of 2219	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.8	894 of 2247	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.5	832 of 2182	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.0	709 of 2118	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.6	686 of 2112	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.3	576 of 2087	72.4%	★★★★☆
2014	61.4	784 of 2064	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	45.4	1109 of 2029	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.5	889 of 1984	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.8	913 of 1985	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.7	707 of 1919	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.7	615 of 1847	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.4	600 of 1789	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.0	534 of 1786	70.1%	★★★★☆
2006	59.6	694 of 1688	58.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts57%~ state avg

Math56%-5 vs state

Science48%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kate M. Smith 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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Civics (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 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 Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kate M. Smith Elementary School	Public	K-5	1447 South Blvd	Chipley	32428	Washington County	Washington	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 638-6220	933	62	15.0	41.7%	631 (67.6%)	165 (17.7%)	53 (5.7%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	77 (8.3%)	49.1	1130^th of 2258 public elementary schools	50.0%		38.4	1384^th of 2256 public elementary schools	38.7%	254	61.0	56.0	55.0				74.0	58.0	35.0				48.0				$9,439	$1,105	$8,334
Holmes Virtual-Vendor Instruction Program	Public, Virtual	K-8	307 W North Ave	Bonifay	32425	Holmes County	Holmes	No	No	Yes	No	(850) 547-9341	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Bonifay K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	140 Blue Devil Dr	Bonifay	32425	Holmes County	Holmes	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 547-3631	1,136	74	15.3	68.6%	963 (84.8%)	47 (4.1%)	38 (3.3%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (7.4%)	43.1	1273^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	43.6%		39.4	1357^th of 2256 public elementary schools	39.8%	84	56.0	42.0	43.0	49.0	61.0	52.0	68.0	65.0	55.0	54.0	55.0	32.0	51.0	47.0	76.0	78.0	$9,661	$1,075	$8,586
Cottondale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2766 Levy St	Cottondale	32431	Jackson County	Jackson	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 482-9820	471	32	14.7	54.6%	333 (70.7%)	73 (15.5%)	19 (4.0%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.9%)	46.7	1187^th of 2258 public elementary schools	47.4%		47.9	1144^th of 2256 public elementary schools	49.3%	43	58.0	55.0	66.0				55.0	48.0	40.0				59.0				$10,273	$1,701	$8,572
Vernon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3665 Roche Ave	Vernon	32462	Washington County	Washington	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 535-2486	621	40	15.5	65.5%	482 (77.6%)	63 (10.1%)	19 (3.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	51 (8.2%)	39.6	1373^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	39.2%		31.9	1563^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	30.7%	190	53.0	40.0	46.0				63.0	65.0	49.0				45.0				$11,244	$1,570	$9,675

Frequently Asked Questions about Kate M. Smith Elementary School

Is Kate M. Smith Elementary School a good school?

Kate M. Smith Elementary School ranks 1130^th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Kate M. Smith Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 933 students attended Kate M. Smith Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Kate M. Smith Elementary School?

Students at Kate M. Smith Elementary School are 68% White, 18% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Kate M. Smith Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kate M. Smith Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Roulhac Middle School
Middle : Vernon Middle School
High : Chipley High School
High : Vernon High School

What district is Kate M. Smith Elementary School in?

Washington

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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.