Fort White Elementary School

Q: Is Fort White Elementary School a good school?

Fort White Elementary School ranks 1403 rd of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Fort White Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 681 students in grades PK-5 in the town of Fort White, Florida, which is part of the Columbia District. While the district is ranked 27th out of 68 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating, Fort White Elementary faces several challenges that set it apart from its peers.

One key difference is the school's racial makeup, with a significantly higher percentage of white students (69.9%) compared to the more diverse student populations at surrounding schools like Summers Elementary School, Pinemount Elementary School, and Westside Elementary School. Additionally, Fort White Elementary has consistently higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.5% to 38.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. This, combined with the school's high percentage of students (66.23%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, may be contributing to its lower academic performance, with only 40-62% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, Math, and Science, compared to the state's averages.

While Fort White Elementary spends more per student ($9,570) than the state average, its performance has steadily declined over the past several years, from 862nd out of 2,182 Florida elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 1,403rd out of 2,256 in 2023-2024, despite maintaining a 3-star rating. This suggests that the school's challenges go beyond just resource allocation and may require targeted interventions and support from the Columbia District to address the specific factors impacting student outcomes at Fort White Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

18119 SW State Road 47
Fort White, FL 32038

(386) 344-6301

District: Columbia

SchoolDigger Rank:
1403^rd of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,570

Students who attend Fort White Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Fort White High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.0

Number of students: 681

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.9%

Hispanic:

15.0%

African American:

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.2%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Fort White Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fort White Elementary School ranks worse than 62.2% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 6^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Columbia School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.89. (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 (69.9%), Hispanic (15%), African American (8.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fort White Elementary School is 17. 5 elementary schools in the Columbia School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Fort White Elementary School employs 40 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fort White Elementary School is $9,570. 6 elementary schools in the Columbia School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Fort White Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Columbia:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia 27^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Fort White Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	41.31	1023^rd	1688	39.4%
2007	57.61	795^th	1786	55.5%
2008	65.01	642^nd	1789	64.1%
2009	65.06	667^th	1847	63.9%
2010	61.92	775^th	1919	59.6%
2011	66.09	700^th	1985	64.7%
2012	62.19	748^th	1984	62.3%
2013	61.09	773^rd	2029	61.9%
2014	60.09	815^th	2064	60.5%
2016	62.20	779^th	2087	62.7%
2017	60.52	812^th	2112	61.6%
2018	48.37	1101^st	2118	48.0%
2019	58.99	862^nd	2182	60.5%
2021	54.69	989^th	2247	56.0%
2022	51.80	1024^th	2219	53.9%
2023	50.48	1084^th	2240	51.6%
2024	37.89	1403^rd	2256	37.8%

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 Fort White Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	444	140	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
1989	491	147	3	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	647
1990	538	147	4	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	691
1991	585	151	6	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	752
1992	588	146	2	3	4	n/a	n/a	0	743
1993	604	135	3	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	750
1994	612	136	3	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	757
1995	650	139	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	807
1996	650	139	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	807
1997	665	125	3	21	7	n/a	n/a	0	821
1998	702	116	3	23	9	n/a	n/a	0	853
1999	723	123	2	30	6	n/a	n/a	0	884
2000	719	112	2	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	867
2001	490	85	9	32	3	n/a	n/a	0	619
2002	528	90	4	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	663
2003	528	90	4	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	663
2004	528	79	1	38	4	n/a	n/a	0	650
2005	532	68	0	36	4	n/a	n/a	0	640
2006	577	79	2	35	4	n/a	n/a	0	697
2007	535	82	2	36	4	n/a	n/a	27	686
2008	550	89	2	36	6	n/a	n/a	25	708
2009	584	81	4	41	5	n/a	n/a	23	738
2010	572	81	5	44	5	n/a	n/a	26	733
2011	526	85	5	50	3	0	26	0	695
2012	518	92	3	54	2	0	33	0	702
2013	511	78	3	41	1	0	34	0	668
2014	497	66	3	52	2	0	36	0	656
2015	499	68	3	57	1	0	47	0	675
2016	488	78	0	53	0	0	60	0	679
2017	478	78	3	48	1	0	51	0	659
2018	499	64	1	50	0	0	58	0	672
2019	484	60	1	60	0	0	45	0	650
2020	497	64	2	73	1	0	52	0	689
2021	453	55	2	68	1	1	51	0	631
2022	457	50	2	79	0	1	50	0	639
2023	476	55	1	102	0	1	46	0	681

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 Fort White Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	584	33.0	17.6	53.1
1989	647	35.0	18.4	57.2
1990	691	34.0	20.3	82.6
1991	752	35.0	21.4	56.4
1992	743	36.0	20.6	20.6
1993	750	36.0	20.8	0
1994	757	38.0	19.9	20.2
1995	807	41.0	19.7	54.9
1996	807	41.0	19.7	54.9
1997	821	44.0	18.7	42.8
1998	853	47.0	18.1	52.9
1999	884	48.0	18.4	62.1
2000	867	50.0	17.3	60.9
2001	619	37.0	16.7	66.4
2002	663	40.0	16.6	70.4
2003	663	40.0	16.6	70.4
2004	650	43.0	15.1	70.2
2005	640	44.0	14.5	65.6
2006	697	47.0	14.8	64.1
2007	686	51.0	13.5	59.5
2008	708	50.5	14.0	63.4
2009	738	52.0	15.1	68.1
2010	733	49.0	14.9	74
2011	695	49.9	13.9	72.4
2012	702	47.9	14.6	73.6
2013	668	50.0	13.3	71.6
2014	656	48.0	13.6	73.2
2015	675	48.0	14.0	77.3
2016	679	47.0	14.4	70
2017	659	47.0	14.0	67.4
2018	672	47.0	14.2	69.2
2019	650	42.0	15.4	63.4
2020	689	42.0	16.4	64.2
2021	631	38.7	16.2	62.6
2022	639	37.7	16.9	61
2023	681	40.0	17.0	66.2

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 Fort White Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	584	33.0	17.6	53.1
1989	647	35.0	18.4	57.2
1990	691	34.0	20.3	82.6
1991	752	35.0	21.4	56.4
1992	743	36.0	20.6	20.6
1993	750	36.0	20.8	0
1994	757	38.0	19.9	20.2
1995	807	41.0	19.7	54.9
1996	807	41.0	19.7	54.9
1997	821	44.0	18.7	42.8
1998	853	47.0	18.1	52.9
1999	884	48.0	18.4	62.1
2000	867	50.0	17.3	60.9
2001	619	37.0	16.7	66.4
2002	663	40.0	16.6	70.4
2003	663	40.0	16.6	70.4
2004	650	43.0	15.1	70.2
2005	640	44.0	14.5	65.6
2006	697	47.0	14.8	64.1
2007	686	51.0	13.5	59.5
2008	708	50.5	14.0	63.4
2009	738	52.0	15.1	68.1
2010	733	49.0	14.9	74
2011	695	49.9	13.9	72.4
2012	702	47.9	14.6	73.6
2013	668	50.0	13.3	71.6
2014	656	48.0	13.6	73.2
2015	675	48.0	14.0	77.3
2016	679	47.0	14.4	70
2017	659	47.0	14.0	67.4
2018	672	47.0	14.2	69.2
2019	650	42.0	15.4	63.4
2020	689	42.0	16.4	64.2
2021	631	38.7	16.2	62.6
2022	639	37.7	16.9	61
2023	681	40.0	17.0	66.2

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 Fort White Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$914 (11.2%)	$7,226 (88.8%)	$8,140
2019	$743 (8.8%)	$7,692 (91.2%)	$8,434
2020	$684 (8.5%)	$7,381 (91.5%)	$8,066
2021	$1,156 (13.1%)	$7,665 (86.9%)	$8,821
2022	$1,700 (18.6%)	$7,440 (81.4%)	$9,140
2023	$1,753 (18.3%)	$7,817 (81.7%)	$9,570

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fort White 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 862^nd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1084^th of 2240 Elementary schools	8.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fort White Elementary School)	68	44	24%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Columbia)	68	56	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Fort White Elementary School)	61	58	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Columbia)	70	66	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fort White Elementary School)	64	57	7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia)	62	60	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Fort White Elementary School)	63	61	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Columbia)	64	71	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Fort White Elementary School)	55	58	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia)	59	59
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Fort White Elementary School)	52	54	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Columbia)	65	60	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Fort White Elementary School)	66	46	20%
5th Grade Science (Columbia)	59	50	9%
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	650	681	4.8%
African American	60	55	8.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	60	102	70%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	484	476	1.7%
Two or More Races	45	46	2.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	63.4%	66.2%	2.8%

Schools Near Fort White 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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Civics (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 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 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
Fort White Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	18119 SW State Road 47	Fort White	32038	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 344-6301	681	40	17.0	66.2%	476 (69.9%)	55 (8.1%)	102 (15.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (6.8%)	37.9	1403^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	37.8%		50.5	1084^th of 2240 public elementary schools	51.6%	319	57.0	44.0	43.0				62.0	58.0	40.0			30.0				$9,570	$1,753	$7,817
High Springs Community School	Public	PK, KG-8	1015 N Main St	High Springs	32643	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	No	(386) 454-1958	974	53	18.5	45.1%	690 (70.8%)	87 (8.9%)	127 (13.0%)	10 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	58 (6.0%)	64.6	762^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	66.2%		72.6	572^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	74.5%	190	60.0	67.0	55.0	62.0	64.0	54.0	59.0	72.0	54.0	84.0	78.0	51.0	62.0	98.0	83.0	$9,779	$1,225	$8,554
Columbia City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7438 SW State Road 47	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 758-4850	615	36	17.0	61.6%	470 (76.4%)	29 (4.7%)	75 (12.2%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.0%)	76.5	492^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	78.2%		69.4	640^th of 2240 public elementary schools	71.4%	148	61.0	60.0	67.0				82.0	73.0	73.0			58.0				$10,407	$1,859	$8,548
Branford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	26801 State Road 247	Branford	32008	Suwannee County	Suwannee	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 935-5700	710	36	19.4	67.6%	531 (74.8%)	20 (2.8%)	121 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.4%)	50.6	1080^th of 2256 public elementary schools	52.1%		64.4	748^th of 2240 public elementary schools	66.6%	332	48.0	57.0	50.0				63.0	60.0	53.0			47.0				$9,102	$1,807	$7,295
Bell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2771 E Bell Ave	Bell	32619	Gilchrist County	Gilchrist	No	No	No	Yes	(352) 463-3275	661	35	18.7	58.4%	552 (83.5%)	9 (1.4%)	87 (13.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.5%)	75.7	512^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.3%		67.1	689^th of 2240 public elementary schools	69.2%	177	72.0	65.0	63.0				74.0	69.0	60.0			64.0				$11,085	$2,245	$8,841
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1956 SW County Road 252b	Lake City	32024	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8280	696	38	18.3	50.1%	479 (68.8%)	100 (14.4%)	56 (8.0%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.0%)	81.4	369^th of 2256 public elementary schools	83.6%		79.8	411^th of 2240 public elementary schools	81.7%	42	70.0	61.0	68.0				76.0	71.0	79.0			69.0				$9,126	$1,725	$7,401
Alachua Elementary School	Public	3-5	13800 NW 152nd Pl	Alachua	32615	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 462-1841	326	21	14.8	70.2%	127 (39.0%)	126 (38.7%)	48 (14.7%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.4%)	16.4	1997^th of 2256 public elementary schools	11.5%		24.2	1766^th of 2240 public elementary schools	21.2%	231	38.0	33.0	33.0				52.0	34.0	25.0			27.0				$13,335	$2,706	$10,628
W. W. Irby Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	13505 NW 140th St	Alachua	32615	Alachua County	Alachua	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 462-5002	379	28	13.4	66.2%	169 (44.6%)	139 (36.7%)	43 (11.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (6.9%)								(n/a)
Alachua Learning Academy Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	11100 W State Road 235	Alachua	32615	Alachua County	Alachua	Yes	No	No	Yes	(386) 418-2080	108	6	18.0	34.3%	70 (64.8%)	3 (2.8%)	19 (17.6%)	9 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.5%)	93.3	82^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	96.4%		97.2	16^th of 2240 public elementary schools	99.3%	66	86.0	89.0	84.0				64.0	100.0	95.0			84.0				$10,254	$2,193	$8,060
Summers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1388 SW McFarlane Ave	Lake City	32025	Columbia County	Columbia	No	No	No	Yes	(386) 755-8250	517	31	16.6	76.4%	199 (38.5%)	186 (36.0%)	69 (13.3%)	10 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (10.3%)	31.2	1588^th of 2256 public elementary schools	29.6%		43.1	1248^th of 2240 public elementary schools	44.3%	340	47.0	41.0	43.0				62.0	44.0	40.0			35.0				$10,076	$1,975	$8,102

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort White Elementary School

What district is Fort White Elementary School in?

Columbia

What schools do graduates of Fort White Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Fort White Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Fort White High School

How many students attend Fort White Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 681 students attended Fort White Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Fort White Elementary School?

Students at Fort White Elementary School are 70% White, 15% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races.

Is Fort White Elementary School a good school?

Fort White Elementary School ranks 1403^rd of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.