Robert M. Paterson Elementary

Summary:

Robert M. Paterson Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in Orange Park, Florida, serving 1,117 students in grades PK-6 and part of the Clay District, which is ranked 10th out of 68 districts in the state.

Robert M. Paterson Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Florida, with impressive academic metrics that outshine the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school received a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranked 30th out of 2,256 schools. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are significantly higher than nearby schools like Orange Park Elementary and Thunderbolt Elementary. For example, 91% of 5th-graders at Robert M. Paterson Elementary scored proficient or better in science, compared to 58% in the district and 53% statewide.

While Robert M. Paterson Elementary has a more diverse student population than some nearby schools, it also faces a higher chronic absenteeism rate of 18.2% in 2022-2023, compared to 6.2% at Orange Park Elementary and 12.7% at Fleming Island Elementary. The school's increased spending per student, from $7,223 in 2019-2020 to $8,697 in 2022-2023, may have contributed to its academic success, though it remains lower than some nearby schools like Grove Park Elementary ($10,159 per student).

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

5400 Pine Ave
Orange Park, FL 32003

(904) 336-2575

District: Clay

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,697

Students who attend Robert M. Paterson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Green Cove Springs Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 693

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.3%

Hispanic:

13.9%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.6%

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Compare Robert M. Paterson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Robert M. Paterson Elementary ranks better than 98.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 2^nd among 28 ranked elementary schools in the Clay School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.31. (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: White (70.3%), Hispanic (13.9%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Robert M. Paterson Elementary is 12, which is the 4^th best among 28 elementary schools in the Clay School District. (See more...)

Compare Robert M. Paterson Elementary employs 57.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Robert M. Paterson Elementary is $8,697. 25 elementary schools in the Clay School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Robert M. Paterson Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Clay:

SchoolDigger ranks Clay 10^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Robert M. Paterson Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	84.49	36^th	199	81.9%
2005	88.04	26^th	202	87.1%
2006	88.88	147^th	1688	91.3%
2007	86.48	182^nd	1786	89.8%
2008	90.13	103^rd	1789	94.2%
2009	81.98	284^th	1847	84.6%
2010	85.24	216^th	1919	88.7%
2011	84.87	229^th	1985	88.5%
2012	81.71	313^th	1984	84.2%
2013	79.60	360^th	2029	82.3%
2014	73.59	492^nd	2064	76.2%
2016	74.96	487^th	2087	76.7%
2017	86.70	227^th	2112	89.3%
2018	86.14	248^th	2118	88.3%
2019	86.03	264^th	2182	87.9%
2021	87.74	247^th	2247	89.0%
2022	88.68	217^th	2219	90.2%
2023	90.93	147^th	2240	93.4%
2024	96.31	30^th	2256	98.7%

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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1993	1000	56	6	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	1079
1994	1068	56	9	28	0	n/a	n/a	0	1161
1995	1182	65	18	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	1298
1996	1182	65	18	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	1298
1997	755	92	14	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	882
1998	797	96	17	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	944
1999	781	57	23	33	4	n/a	n/a	0	898
2000	846	52	27	43	3	n/a	n/a	0	971
2001	869	63	26	45	4	n/a	n/a	0	1007
2002	892	64	32	41	5	n/a	n/a	0	1034
2003	892	64	32	41	5	n/a	n/a	0	1034
2004	947	69	28	52	4	n/a	n/a	0	1100
2005	971	80	35	45	2	n/a	n/a	0	1133
2006	942	73	27	66	1	n/a	n/a	0	1109
2007	867	69	40	72	1	n/a	n/a	14	1063
2008	797	55	27	61	0	n/a	n/a	16	956
2009	769	75	29	53	1	n/a	n/a	34	961
2010	724	65	20	65	2	n/a	n/a	13	889
2011	718	63	18	74	2	0	13	0	888
2012	737	59	15	75	4	1	15	0	906
2013	703	72	22	88	5	2	19	0	911
2014	670	61	22	106	5	2	19	0	885
2015	689	74	20	111	5	1	20	0	920
2016	709	66	22	107	5	1	23	0	933
2017	687	68	22	121	5	2	33	0	938
2018	727	85	23	148	4	3	29	0	1019
2019	765	93	23	153	1	4	32	0	1071
2020	813	81	21	176	0	3	26	0	1120
2021	763	81	23	157	0	3	34	0	1061
2022	775	82	24	175	0	2	51	0	1109
2023	760	92	31	179	1	1	53	0	1117
2024	487	36	32	96	1	0	41	0	693

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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	1079	49.0	22.0	6.3
1994	1161	55.0	21.1	4.9
1995	1298	61.0	21.3	4.4
1996	1298	61.0	21.3	4.4
1997	882	46.0	19.2	12.8
1998	944	40.0	23.6	13.2
1999	898	52.0	17.3	10.1
2000	971	52.0	18.7	9.1
2001	1007	56.0	18.0	10
2002	1034	56.0	18.5	9.2
2003	1034	56.0	18.5	9.2
2004	1100	65.0	16.9	11.5
2005	1133	75.0	15.1	12
2006	1109	76.0	14.6	13.8
2007	1063	73.0	14.6	12.4
2008	956	69.0	13.9	11.8
2009	961	79.4	13.2	16
2010	889	68.0	13.0	20.2
2011	888	67.0	13.2	24.1
2012	906	63.0	14.3	24.6
2013	911	66.0	13.8	24
2014	885	65.0	13.6	28.7
2015	920	64.0	14.3	36.2
2016	933	64.0	14.5	34
2017	938	64.0	14.6	31.8
2018	1019	67.0	15.2	34.2
2019	1071	72.0	14.8	32.3
2020	1120	75.0	14.9	33.8
2021	1061	76.0	13.9	28.4
2022	1109	79.0	14.0	26.4
2023	1117	79.0	14.1	34.7
2024	693	57.6	12.0	31.6

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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	1079	49.0	22.0	6.3
1994	1161	55.0	21.1	4.9
1995	1298	61.0	21.3	4.4
1996	1298	61.0	21.3	4.4
1997	882	46.0	19.2	12.8
1998	944	40.0	23.6	13.2
1999	898	52.0	17.3	10.1
2000	971	52.0	18.7	9.1
2001	1007	56.0	18.0	10
2002	1034	56.0	18.5	9.2
2003	1034	56.0	18.5	9.2
2004	1100	65.0	16.9	11.5
2005	1133	75.0	15.1	12
2006	1109	76.0	14.6	13.8
2007	1063	73.0	14.6	12.4
2008	956	69.0	13.9	11.8
2009	961	79.4	13.2	16
2010	889	68.0	13.0	20.2
2011	888	67.0	13.2	24.1
2012	906	63.0	14.3	24.6
2013	911	66.0	13.8	24
2014	885	65.0	13.6	28.7
2015	920	64.0	14.3	36.2
2016	933	64.0	14.5	34
2017	938	64.0	14.6	31.8
2018	1019	67.0	15.2	34.2
2019	1071	72.0	14.8	32.3
2020	1120	75.0	14.9	33.8
2021	1061	76.0	13.9	28.4
2022	1109	79.0	14.0	26.4
2023	1117	79.0	14.1	34.7
2024	693	57.6	12.0	31.6

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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$439 (6.6%)	$6,261 (93.4%)	$6,700
2019	$289 (4.1%)	$6,704 (95.9%)	$6,994
2020	$319 (4.4%)	$6,903 (95.6%)	$7,223
2021	$472 (6.2%)	$7,184 (93.8%)	$7,657
2022	$936 (11.2%)	$7,409 (88.8%)	$8,346
2023	$770 (8.9%)	$7,928 (91.2%)	$8,697

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Robert M. Paterson Elementary

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 264^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 147^th of 2240 Elementary schools	5.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	78	74	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Clay)	68	61	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	79	84	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Clay)	71	66	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	79	79
4th Grade English Language Arts (Clay)	64	62	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	81	86	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Clay)	69	68	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	79	63	16%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Clay)	62	62
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	73	73
5th Grade Mathematics (Clay)	64	59	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	71	82	11%
5th Grade Science (Clay)	63	63
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	74	79	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Clay)	64	64
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Robert M. Paterson Elementary)	78	84	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Clay)	70	72	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1071	1117	4.3%
African American	93	92	1.1%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	23	31	34.8%
Hispanic	153	179	17%
Pacific Islander	4	1	75%
White	765	760	0.7%
Two or More Races	32	53	65.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	32.3%	34.7%	2.4%

Schools Near Robert M. Paterson Elementary

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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Robert M. Paterson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	5400 Pine Ave	Orange Park	32003	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-2575	693	58	12.0	31.6%	487 (70.3%)	36 (5.2%)	96 (13.9%)	32 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.9%)	96.3	30^th of 2256 public elementary schools	98.7%		90.9	147^th of 2240 public elementary schools	93.4%	117	84.0	85.0	81.0	90.0	91.0	91.0	88.0	98.0	91.0	$8,697	$770	$7,928
Thunderbolt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2020 Thunderbolt Rd	Fleming Island	32003	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-3675	802	65	12.3	38.7%	516 (64.3%)	78 (9.7%)	107 (13.3%)	39 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	57 (7.1%)	90.8	147^th of 2256 public elementary schools	93.5%		87.7	225^th of 2240 public elementary schools	90.0%	78	82.0	72.0	74.0	85.0	83.0	84.0	76.0	94.0	74.0	$9,327	$1,135	$8,193
Fleming Island Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4425 Lakeshore Dr	Orange Park	32003	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-1075	659	52	12.6	23.7%	462 (70.1%)	35 (5.3%)	96 (14.6%)	18 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	45 (6.8%)	93	90^th of 2256 public elementary schools	96.0%		93.2	90^th of 2240 public elementary schools	96.0%		78.0	78.0	74.0	86.0	90.0	93.0	79.0	92.0	77.0	$10,878	$1,077	$9,800
Swimming Pen Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1630 Woodpecker Ln	Middleburg	32068	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-3475	474	39	12.1	56.5%	295 (62.2%)	47 (9.9%)	69 (14.6%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	55 (11.6%)	47	1175^th of 2256 public elementary schools	47.9%		48.4	1130^th of 2240 public elementary schools	49.6%	45	59.0	56.0	48.0	55.0	52.0	64.0	36.0	62.0	47.0	$11,723	$959	$10,764
Hickory Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	235 Hickory Creek Trl	Saint Johns	32259	St. Johns County	St. Johns	No	No	No	No	(904) 547-7450	805	54	14.9	12.5%	538 (66.8%)	37 (4.6%)	121 (15.0%)	50 (6.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.8%)	89	210^th of 2256 public elementary schools	90.7%		88.7	204^th of 2240 public elementary schools	90.9%	6	73.0	78.0	78.0		74.0	77.0	82.0		77.0	$9,325	$489	$8,837
Montclair Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2398 Moody Ave	Orange Park	32073	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-1975	420	35	12.0	65.0%	218 (51.9%)	61 (14.5%)	103 (24.5%)	7 (1.7%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	25 (6.0%)	45.4	1209^th of 2256 public elementary schools	46.4%		56.5	937^th of 2240 public elementary schools	58.2%	272	53.0	53.0	45.0	60.0	53.0	53.0	39.0	63.0	50.0	$12,447	$1,595	$10,851
Lakeside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2752 Moody Ave	Orange Park	32073	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-1675	725	53	13.7	61.4%	382 (52.7%)	101 (13.9%)	146 (20.1%)	14 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	78 (10.8%)	43.7	1251^st of 2256 public elementary schools	44.5%		55.3	965^th of 2240 public elementary schools	56.9%	286	55.0	43.0	42.0	72.0	48.0	56.0	31.0	90.0	42.0	$8,750	$748	$8,001
Doctors Inlet Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2634 County Road 220	Middleburg	32068	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-0975	569	40	14.3	63.1%	329 (57.8%)	78 (13.7%)	109 (19.2%)	13 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.9%)	57.3	915^th of 2256 public elementary schools	59.4%		68.7	649^th of 2240 public elementary schools	71.0%	266	46.0	54.0	41.0	67.0	71.0	64.0	43.0	83.0	61.0	$9,836	$867	$8,969
Grove Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1643 Miller St	Orange Park	32073	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-1275	394	33	11.9	78.7%	127 (32.2%)	160 (40.6%)	73 (18.5%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.1%)	19.8	1905^th of 2256 public elementary schools	15.6%		13.4	2074^th of 2240 public elementary schools	7.4%	169	32.0	32.0	38.0	48.0	39.0	21.0	27.0	52.0	42.0	$10,159	$1,489	$8,670
Orange Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1401 Plainfield Ave	Orange Park	32073	Clay County	Clay	No	No	No	No	(904) 336-2275	480	29	16.5	32.1%	343 (71.5%)	21 (4.4%)	67 (14.0%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (8.5%)	97.2	18^th of 2256 public elementary schools	99.2%		92.1	111^th of 2240 public elementary schools	95.0%	93	94.0	88.0	88.0	88.0	99.0	99.0	94.0	88.0	97.0	$9,601	$1,227	$8,373

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert M. Paterson Elementary

Is Robert M. Paterson Elementary a good school?

Yes! Robert M. Paterson Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 30^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools.

What district is Robert M. Paterson Elementary in?

Clay

What schools do graduates of Robert M. Paterson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Robert M. Paterson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Green Cove Springs Junior High School

How many students attend Robert M. Paterson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 693 students attended Robert M. Paterson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Robert M. Paterson Elementary?

Students at Robert M. Paterson Elementary are 70% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 5% Asian.

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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.