Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 54 schools in district

WARDS CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

6555 STATE ROAD 16, ST AUGUSTINE, FL 32092ST. JOHNS →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–05Non-Charter
954
Students
Total enrolled
$11,898
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 17% vs nat'l
14.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 7% vs nat'l
36/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 29% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 954 students in grades PK–05 in ST AUGUSTINE, Florida.
17% below average funding
District spends $11,898 per pupil, 17% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 36th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

WARDS CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a large elementary in ST AUGUSTINE, Florida, serving grades PK–05 with 954 students. The district invests $11,898 per student — 17% below the national average of $14,347, with a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. With only 19% of students on free or reduced-price lunch, the school primarily serves an economically stable community. A neighborhood opportunity score of 36/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at WARDS CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

954
Total Students
14.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
19%
Free Lunch
67
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution501 male · 453 female
53%
47%
Male 53%Female 47%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility19%
National avg 52% · 180 students
Student Composition
9%
63%
16%
8%
Asian9%
White63%
Hispanic / Latino16%
Black3%
Multiracial8%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 120174007272

Academic Outcomes at WARDS CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
36
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 36th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 11th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 32092

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$11,898Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$11,898
State avg
$12,753
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,235
Student Support$2,261
Administration$1,428
Operations$1,785
Other$1,190
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $11,898 spent per student, an estimated $5,271 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
37%
56%
State government
37.4%
Local (property tax)
56.0%
Federal programs
6.7%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Low economic disadvantage rate — only 19% of students on free or reduced lunch
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (36/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
FREEDOM CROSSING ACADEMYMILL CREEK ACADEMYLIBERTY PINES ACADEMYPINE ISLAND ACADEMY
+14 more
↓
Middle
PACETTI BAY MIDDLE SCHOOLSWITZERLAND POINT MIDDLE SCHOOLFRUIT COVE MIDDLE SCHOOLALICE B. LANDRUM MIDDLE SCHOOL
+1 more
↓
High School
BARTRAM TRAIL HIGH SCHOOLCREEKSIDE HIGH SCHOOLALLEN D NEASE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLTOCOI CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
+3 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesPK – 05
Location—
CountySt. Johns County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictST. JOHNS →
Phone: (904)547-8730
NCES ID: 120174007272
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in ST AUGUSTINE seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in ST. JOHNS
High
BARTRAM TRAIL HIGH SCHOOL
2,493 students · 09–12
● 45 opp4% FRL
High
CREEKSIDE HIGH SCHOOL
2,455 students · 09–12
● 45 opp4% FRL
High
ALLEN D NEASE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,214 students · 09–12
4% FRL
High
TOCOI CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
2,008 students · 09–12
10% FRL
Elem
FREEDOM CROSSING ACADEMY
1,970 students · PK–08
● 45 opp12% FRL
High
PONTE VEDRA HIGH SCHOOL
1,928 students · 09–12
2% FRL
Elem
MILL CREEK ACADEMY
1,893 students · PK–08
● 36 opp18% FRL
Elem
LIBERTY PINES ACADEMY
1,815 students · PK–08
● 45 opp12% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
6555 STATE ROAD 16, ST AUGUSTINE, FL 32092
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.