W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

Summary:

W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School is a public elementary school in Gainesville, Florida, serving 478 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Alachua District, which is ranked 43 out of 68 districts in the state and rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

W. A. Metcalfe stands out from nearby schools like Joseph Williams Elementary, Stephen Foster Elementary, and Caring & Sharing Learning School in several key ways. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (78.66%) compared to the 19.96% to 91.76% range at nearby schools. W. A. Metcalfe also struggles with extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 52.5% in the 2022-2023 school year, much higher than the 11.4% to 32.8% range at other local schools. Additionally, the school's test scores are consistently lower than the Alachua District and Florida state averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

Further insights reveal that W. A. Metcalfe has a very high percentage of students (88.49%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the 40.91% to 77.65% range at nearby schools. Despite this, the school has a relatively high spending per student, reaching $18,228 in the 2020-2021 school year, compared to $8,236 to $14,496 per student at other local schools. These factors suggest that the school faces significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its predominantly low-income, African American student population, and that additional resources and targeted interventions may be needed to address the school's persistent academic struggles.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1250 NE 18th Ave
Gainesville, FL 32609

(352) 955-6713

District: Alachua

SchoolDigger Rank:
2209^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,705

Students who attend W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Eastside High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.6

Number of students: 444

Racial breakdown:

African American:

82.7%

White:

6.1%

Hispanic:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.2%

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Compare W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School ranks worse than 97.9% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 27^th among 28 ranked elementary schools in the Alachua School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.32. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (82.7%), White (6.1%), Hispanic (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School is 12.6, which is the 7^th best among 28 elementary schools in the Alachua School District. (See more...)

Compare W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School employs 35 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School is $10,705, which is the 12^th highest among 28 elementary schools in the Alachua School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Alachua:

SchoolDigger ranks Alachua 43^rd of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	4.86	1643^rd	1688	2.7%
2007	1.73	1771^st	1786	0.8%
2008	16.17	1582^nd	1789	11.6%
2009	6.93	1777^th	1847	3.8%
2010	13.76	1749^th	1919	8.9%
2011	12.09	1829^th	1985	7.9%
2012	5.65	1942^nd	1984	2.1%
2013	14.96	1841^st	2029	9.3%
2014	16.01	1846^th	2064	10.6%
2016	17.95	1786^th	2087	14.4%
2017	12.69	1952^nd	2112	7.6%
2018	10.21	1992^nd	2118	5.9%
2019	21.50	1800^th	2182	17.5%
2021	22.59	1761^st	2247	21.6%
2022	8.29	2129^th	2219	4.1%
2023	5.30	2199^th	2240	1.8%
2024	6.32	2209^th	2256	2.1%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	358	206	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	575
1989	356	220	3	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	589
1990	360	241	2	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	617
1991	293	267	1	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	577
1992	282	289	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	580
1993	293	319	0	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	622
1994	273	327	3	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	614
1995	235	383	3	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	632
1996	235	383	3	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	632
1997	232	427	5	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	685
1998	227	464	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	703
1999	190	445	7	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	651
2000	155	442	5	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	613
2001	142	426	6	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	583
2002	101	437	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	550
2003	101	437	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	550
2004	88	437	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	534
2005	65	433	5	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	511
2006	71	416	5	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	506
2007	51	327	2	21	1	n/a	n/a	21	423
2008	57	320	1	19	0	n/a	n/a	26	423
2009	53	354	5	16	1	n/a	n/a	29	458
2010	55	424	2	18	1	n/a	n/a	31	531
2011	41	370	1	16	1	0	22	0	451
2012	33	405	2	11	0	0	20	0	471
2013	29	334	1	10	0	0	11	0	385
2014	25	344	2	9	1	1	16	0	398
2015	36	481	2	7	2	1	12	0	541
2016	22	265	2	5	1	1	4	0	300
2017	19	272	2	8	0	1	14	0	316
2018	14	224	2	6	1	0	10	0	257
2019	9	184	1	5	1	0	10	0	210
2020	9	168	1	6	1	0	11	0	196
2021	7	177	1	2	1	0	13	0	201
2022	14	201	2	9	1	0	16	0	243
2023	34	376	1	36	0	1	30	0	478
2024	27	367	2	24	0	0	24	0	444

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 W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	575	34.0	16.9	42.3
1989	589	37.0	15.9	42.6
1990	617	37.0	16.6	48.3
1991	577	35.0	16.4	55.1
1992	580	34.0	17.0	47.2
1993	622	38.0	16.4	51.8
1994	614	40.0	15.4	57.2
1995	632	40.0	15.8	63.3
1996	632	40.0	15.8	63.3
1997	685	43.0	15.9	63.2
1998	703	44.0	16.0	65.3
1999	651	45.0	14.5	79.1
2000	613	47.0	13.0	82.9
2001	583	44.0	13.3	82
2002	550	42.0	13.1	87.8
2003	550	42.0	13.1	87.8
2004	534	40.0	13.4	94.6
2005	511	33.0	15.5	92.6
2006	506	34.0	14.9	88.9
2007	423	30.0	14.1	90.5
2008	423	30.0	14.1	94
2009	458	34.6	15.8	97.7
2010	531	32.5	16.3	100.2
2011	451	33.0	13.6	88.7
2012	471	33.0	14.2	90.7
2013	385	28.0	13.7	93.8
2014	398	27.0	14.7	94.5
2015	541	37.0	14.6	84.7
2016	300	26.0	11.5	84.7
2017	316	21.0	15.0	83.5
2018	257	25.0	10.2	97.7
2019	210	12.0	17.5	82.9
2020	196	12.0	16.3	83.2
2021	201	13.5	14.8	90.5
2022	243	19.5	12.4	88.1
2023	478	26.0	18.3	88.5
2024	444	35.0	12.6	87.2

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 W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	575	34.0	16.9	42.3
1989	589	37.0	15.9	42.6
1990	617	37.0	16.6	48.3
1991	577	35.0	16.4	55.1
1992	580	34.0	17.0	47.2
1993	622	38.0	16.4	51.8
1994	614	40.0	15.4	57.2
1995	632	40.0	15.8	63.3
1996	632	40.0	15.8	63.3
1997	685	43.0	15.9	63.2
1998	703	44.0	16.0	65.3
1999	651	45.0	14.5	79.1
2000	613	47.0	13.0	82.9
2001	583	44.0	13.3	82
2002	550	42.0	13.1	87.8
2003	550	42.0	13.1	87.8
2004	534	40.0	13.4	94.6
2005	511	33.0	15.5	92.6
2006	506	34.0	14.9	88.9
2007	423	30.0	14.1	90.5
2008	423	30.0	14.1	94
2009	458	34.6	15.8	97.7
2010	531	32.5	16.3	100.2
2011	451	33.0	13.6	88.7
2012	471	33.0	14.2	90.7
2013	385	28.0	13.7	93.8
2014	398	27.0	14.7	94.5
2015	541	37.0	14.6	84.7
2016	300	26.0	11.5	84.7
2017	316	21.0	15.0	83.5
2018	257	25.0	10.2	97.7
2019	210	12.0	17.5	82.9
2020	196	12.0	16.3	83.2
2021	201	13.5	14.8	90.5
2022	243	19.5	12.4	88.1
2023	478	26.0	18.3	88.5
2024	444	35.0	12.6	87.2

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 W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,605 (11.7%)	$12,127 (88.3%)	$13,732
2019	$1,789 (12.1%)	$13,029 (87.9%)	$14,818
2020	$1,382 (8.6%)	$14,700 (91.4%)	$16,082
2021	$2,725 (14.9%)	$15,504 (85.1%)	$18,228
2022	$2,445 (15.6%)	$13,218 (84.4%)	$15,663
2023	$2,173 (20.3%)	$8,531 (79.7%)	$10,705

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

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 1800^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 2199^th of 2240 Elementary schools	15.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School)	22	26	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	57	50	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School)	56	17	39%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Alachua)	58	52	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School)	32	30	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	55	55
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School)	37	43	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Alachua)	60	58	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School)	35	21	14%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Alachua)	55	51	4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School)	53	23	30%
5th Grade Mathematics (Alachua)	57	48	9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School)	43	22	21%
5th Grade Science (Alachua)	55	51	4%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	210	478	127.6%
African American	184	376	104.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	5	36	620%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	9	34	277.8%
Two or More Races	10	30	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	82.9%	88.5%	5.6%

Schools Near W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1250 NE 18th Ave	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6713	444	35	12.6	87.2%	27 (6.1%)	367 (82.7%)	24 (5.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.4%)	6.3	2209^th of 2256 public elementary schools	2.1%		5.3	2199^th of 2240 public elementary schools	1.8%	10	28.0	30.0	22.0	26.0	25.0	27.0	19.0	$10,705	$2,173	$8,531
Boulware Springs Charter	Public, Charter	K-5	1303 NE 23rd Ave	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 244-9732	158	13	12.1	66.5%	38 (24.1%)	97 (61.4%)	10 (6.3%)	3 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.3%)	75.6	513^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.3%		82.6	354^th of 2240 public elementary schools	84.2%	159	67.0	50.0	67.0	89.0	85.0	58.0	58.0	$9,407	$1,296	$8,110
Early Learning Academy At Duval	Public	PK-K	2106 NE 8th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 955-6703	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3500 NE 15th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 955-6715	420	29	14.5	91.2%	14 (3.3%)	358 (85.2%)	25 (6.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.8%)	4.3	2229^th of 2256 public elementary schools	1.2%		6.2	2190^th of 2240 public elementary schools	2.2%	39	5.0	21.0	22.0	5.0	17.0	33.0	22.0	$14,496	$3,404	$11,093
Fearnside Family Services Center	Public	PK	3600 NE 15th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	No	(352) 955-6875	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
The One Room School House Project	Public, Charter	K-6	4180 NE 15th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	Yes	(352) 376-4014	188	11	17.0	70.2%	50 (26.6%)	103 (54.8%)	15 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (10.6%)	36.8	1436^th of 2256 public elementary schools	36.3%		53.3	1014^th of 2240 public elementary schools	54.7%	422	52.0	47.0	35.0	41.0	58.0	65.0	35.0	$8,236	$809	$7,427
Scholars For Success	Public	1-5	2802 NE 8th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(352) 955-7300	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Alachua Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual	PK, KG-5	2802 NE 8th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	Yes	No	(352) 955-7584	39	0	76.0	35.9%	15 (38.5%)	12 (30.8%)	8 (20.5%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (7.7%)								(n/a)								$9,572	$787	$8,784
Joseph Williams Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1245 SE 7th Ave	Gainesville	32641	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 955-6719	458	29	15.6	68.6%	36 (7.9%)	298 (65.1%)	20 (4.4%)	74 (16.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	35.1	1488^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.0%		36.3	1433^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	36.0%	55	40.0	44.0	55.0	38.0	46.0	50.0	50.0	$10,448	$1,742	$8,707
Stephen Foster Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	3800 NW 6th St	Gainesville	32609	Alachua County	Alachua	No	Yes	No	Yes	(352) 955-6706	386	31	12.5	65.8%	109 (28.2%)	162 (42.0%)	54 (14.0%)	28 (7.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.8%)	30.2	1612^th of 2256 public elementary schools	28.5%		32.9	1531^st of 2240 public elementary schools	31.7%	81	54.0	49.0	39.0	49.0	53.0	26.0	34.0	$11,431	$2,023	$9,408

Frequently Asked Questions about W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School

What district is W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School in?

Alachua

What is the racial makeup of W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School?

Students at W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School are 83% African American, 6% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Is W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School a good school?

W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School ranks in the bottom 2.1% of Florida elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School attend?

Students who attend W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Eastside High School

How many students attend W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 444 students attended W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School.

Rate W. A. Metcalfe Elementary School!

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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.