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Watterson Elementary

Public Grades K-5

634^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of Kentucky elementary schools

Summary

Watterson Elementary is a public elementary school in Louisville, Kentucky, serving 484 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Jefferson County school district, which is ranked 140 out of 157 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watterson Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kentucky elementary schools over the past several years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 441 to 656 out of 684-705 schools. The school's academic performance is significantly below the Jefferson County and Kentucky state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in Mathematics ranged from 22-25% at Watterson, compared to 30-44% for Jefferson County and 43-44% for the state. Watterson Elementary also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.0% to 38.1% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

While Watterson Elementary spends more per student ($21,366 in 2023-2024) compared to nearby schools, such as Alex R. Kennedy Elementary, Rangeland Elementary, and Luhr Elementary, these nearby schools tend to outperform Watterson in academic measures. Additionally, some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Hawthorne Elementary and Greathouse/Shryock Traditional, are magnet schools that may attract a different student population and have additional resources, contributing to their stronger academic performance.

454

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,366

Per pupil spending ?

71.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3900 Breckinridge Lane
Louisville, KY 40218

(502) 485-8342

District: Jefferson County

Students who attend Watterson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ramsey Middle
High:	Fern Creek High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

39.9%

White:

29.1%

Hispanic:

19.4%

See top rated Kentucky elementary schools

Compare Watterson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 29th percentile in 2014 → 7th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (24% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 25% Kentucky)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg31%

Kentucky avg44%

634^th of 685

Kentucky public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to bottom 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

51^st of 86Elementary Schools in the Jefferson County

140^th of 157Jefferson County among Kentucky 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	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	11.1	634 of 685	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.9	654 of 685	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.5	616 of 687	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.0	656 of 684	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	596 of 700	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.8	441 of 691	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.0	483 of 694	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	40.3	444 of 690	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.3	562 of 698	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.1	500 of 705	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	32.2	549 of 719	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.7	601 of 713	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	13.8	627 of 688	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	5.7	649 of 683	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	12.0	602 of 658	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	32.2	478 of 651	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	32.1	467 of 638	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	29.5	106 of 142	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	125 of 140	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.1	53 of 129	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	15.6	111 of 118	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.9	106 of 185	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.0	41 of 184	77.7%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	15.9	449 of 474	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.8	387 of 445	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2023	22.4	57 of 65	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	14.6	579 of 648	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	6.5	623 of 644	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	520 of 639	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.0	622 of 641	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.7	490 of 671	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.5	339 of 663	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	126 of 168	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.3	48 of 120	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.2	32 of 152	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	64.2	37 of 153	75.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	17.0	598 of 672	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.0	638 of 665	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	616 of 670	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	636 of 667	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.5	570 of 664	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.9	307 of 631	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	8.0	623 of 653	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	620 of 652	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.7	618 of 652	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.9	622 of 657	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.8	621 of 676	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	31.3	508 of 665	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2018	71.3	12 of 59	79.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	24.5	545 of 661	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	14.8	603 of 659	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.9	653 of 659	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.2	593 of 658	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.1	544 of 656	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.2	484 of 592	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.8	290 of 593	51.1%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Multi-racial (2018)80th percentile+43 vs school

African American (2025)25th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2025)25th percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2019)18th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)12th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)11th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)8th percentile~ school

Disabled (2019)5th percentile-10 vs school

Male (2025)5th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Editing and Mechanics33%-14 vs state

Reading25%-24 vs state

Social Studies24%-14 vs state

Mathematics23%-20 vs state

Writing19%-19 vs state

Science14%-23 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, February 13, 2018

As a parent with a child here in 2018, I cannot say how ill the idea makes me that my son goes here. There is a SEVERE lack of attention paid to the children to help them grow, they "dumb down" the curriculum because most of the students are behind, so any child (like mine) that is advanced in any area is going to be bored, let down, and not challenged.

There are 4 other schools in the area I would rather have my son attend than this place. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, November 1, 2017

I'm new to the school. And it has been an excellent school. The teachers and staff really care. And she loves it there as well. Close Quote

Schools Near Watterson Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KSA Mathematics (2025)			KSA Reading (2025)			KSA Science (2025)	KSA Writing (2025)	KSA Social Studies (2025)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (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	KSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	KSA Mathematics 4th Grade	KSA Mathematics 5th Grade	KSA Reading 3rd Grade	KSA Reading 4th Grade	KSA Reading 5th Grade	KSA Science 4th Grade	KSA Writing 5th Grade	KSA Social Studies 5th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Watterson Elementary	Public	K-5	3900 Breckinridge Lane	Louisville	40218	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8342	454	36	12.7	71.4%	132 (29.1%)	181 (39.9%)	88 (19.4%)	23 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.4%)	11.1	634^th of 685 public elementary schools	7.4%		7.9	654^th of 685 public elementary schools	4.5%	20	23.0	22.0	25.0	24.0	20.0	31.0	14.0	19.0	24.0	33.0	$21,366	$714	$1,881	$2,596	$14,860	$3,910	$18,770
Klondike Lane Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3807 Klondike Ln	Louisville	40218	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8286	527	35	15.0	69.4%	110 (20.9%)	154 (29.2%)	203 (38.5%)	41 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.4%)	16.7	591^st of 685 public elementary schools	13.7%		27.8	516^th of 685 public elementary schools	24.7%	75	24.0	24.0	28.0	31.0	28.0	30.0	19.0	33.0	27.0	35.0	$21,618	$973	$1,703	$2,675	$15,237	$3,706	$18,943
Goldsmith Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	3520 Goldsmith Lane	Louisville	40220	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8258	651	46	14.0	71.6%	138 (21.2%)	167 (25.7%)	222 (34.1%)	73 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	48 (7.4%)	16.8	590^th of 685 public elementary schools	13.9%		8.2	649^th of 685 public elementary schools	5.3%	59	41.0	14.0	23.0	45.0	29.0	28.0		12.0	18.0	26.0	$20,456	$696	$1,622	$2,318	$14,728	$3,410	$18,138
Price Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	5001 Garden Green Way	Louisville	40218	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	Yes	(502) 485-8315	470	28	16.7	75.5%	53 (11.3%)	237 (50.4%)	135 (28.7%)	23 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.7%)	9.5	643^rd of 685 public elementary schools	6.1%		10.5	634^th of 685 public elementary schools	7.4%	9		21.0	26.0	15.0	17.0	27.0		24.0	18.0	26.0	$22,706	$934	$1,604	$2,538	$16,420	$3,748	$20,168
Jeffersontown Elementary	Public	K-5	3610 Cedarwood Way	Jeffersontown	40299	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8274	686	42	16.2	62.7%	256 (37.3%)	186 (27.1%)	147 (21.4%)	33 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	61 (8.9%)	8.7	648^th of 685 public elementary schools	5.4%		9.3	641^st of 685 public elementary schools	6.4%	7	26.0	27.0	16.0	25.0	25.0	27.0	15.0	9.0	15.0	28.0	$20,408	$968	$1,728	$2,697	$14,146	$3,565	$17,712
Greathouse/Shryock Traditional	Public, Magnet	K-5	2700 Browns Lane	Louisville	40220	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	Yes	No	No	(502) 485-8259	607	34	17.7	26.0%	184 (30.3%)	94 (15.5%)	17 (2.8%)	265 (43.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.7%)	96.6	5^th of 685 public elementary schools	99.3%		98.2	2^nd of 685 public elementary schools	99.7%	3	75.0	70.0	81.0	68.0	81.0	84.0	68.0	69.0	81.0	86.0	$18,736	$689	$1,550	$2,240	$13,073	$3,423	$16,497
Alex R. Kennedy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4515 Taylorsville Rd	Louisville	40220	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-6950	369	25	15.0	59.3%	123 (33.3%)	97 (26.3%)	77 (20.9%)	48 (13.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.0%)	22.2	561^st of 685 public elementary schools	18.1%		21.4	564^th of 685 public elementary schools	17.7%	3	39.0		38.0	29.0	35.0	43.0		7.0	26.0	26.0	$22,322	$1,331	$1,615	$2,947	$15,484	$3,891	$19,375
Rangeland Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Rangeland Rd	Louisville	40219	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8317	532	30	17.6	76.7%	48 (9.0%)	209 (39.3%)	227 (42.7%)	20 (3.8%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	23 (4.3%)	2	680^th of 685 public elementary schools	0.7%		4.5	671^st of 685 public elementary schools	2.0%	9	11.0			15.0	10.0	13.0			10.0		$20,676	$1,448	$1,704	$3,152	$13,839	$3,685	$17,524
Luhr Elementary	Public	K-5	6900 Fegenbush Lane	Louisville	40228	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8295	544	33	16.6	62.7%	163 (30.0%)	171 (31.4%)	92 (16.9%)	82 (15.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.6%)	40.8	421^st of 685 public elementary schools	38.5%		33.5	467^th of 685 public elementary schools	31.8%	46	52.0	32.0	32.0	55.0	42.0	43.0	26.0	51.0	31.0	40.0	$21,760	$1,115	$1,804	$2,919	$15,116	$3,725	$18,841
Fern Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	8815 Ferndale Rd	Louisville	40291	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 485-8250	744	46	16.0	63.7%	203 (27.3%)	226 (30.4%)	208 (28.0%)	64 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.8%)	16.5	595^th of 685 public elementary schools	13.1%		14.2	609^th of 685 public elementary schools	11.1%	14	30.0	32.0	23.0	29.0	32.0	34.0	22.0	29.0	21.0	29.0	$19,267	$917	$1,716	$2,632	$13,091	$3,544	$16,635

Frequently Asked Questions about Watterson Elementary

What district is Watterson Elementary in?

Jefferson County

What schools do graduates of Watterson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Watterson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ramsey Middle
High : Fern Creek High

Is Watterson Elementary a good school?

Watterson Elementary ranks in the bottom 7.4% of Kentucky elementary schools.

How many students attend Watterson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 454 students attended Watterson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Watterson Elementary?

Students at Watterson Elementary are 40% African American, 29% White, 19% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

Rate Watterson Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kentucky 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.