Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

Q: Is Rufus E. Payne Elementary School a good school?

Rufus E. Payne Elementary School ranks 1212 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Rufus E. Payne Elementary School is a public elementary school in Jacksonville, Florida, serving 225 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Duval school district, which is ranked 54 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The student population is predominantly African American, making up 94.67% of the student body.

Rufus E. Payne Elementary faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 47.0% to 66.7% in recent years, which is much higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores are also consistently lower than the Duval district and Florida state averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 47% of 3rd graders were proficient in ELA, compared to 49% in Duval and 55% statewide. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 84% to 88.56%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Rufus E. Payne Elementary to nearby schools, such as KIPP V.O.I.C.E Academy, Sallye B. Mathis Elementary, and Martin Luther King Junior Elementary, it becomes clear that the challenges faced by Rufus E. Payne are not unique. Many of the surrounding schools also have high chronic absenteeism rates, low test scores, and high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Despite these challenges, Rufus E. Payne Elementary has not shown significant improvement over the years, with its statewide ranking remaining in the bottom quartile of Florida elementary schools for the past decade.

Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

6725 Hema Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32209

(904) 924-3020

District: Duval

SchoolDigger Rank:
1212^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,401

Students who attend Rufus E. Payne Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School
High:	William M. Raines High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 224

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.1%

Two or more races:

3.1%

White:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.2%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Rufus E. Payne Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rufus E. Payne Elementary School ranks worse than 53.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 51^st among 119 ranked elementary schools in the Duval School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.31. (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: African American (91.1%), two or more races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 86.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School is 16, which is the 36^th best among 119 elementary schools in the Duval School District. (See more...)

Compare Rufus E. Payne Elementary School employs 14 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School is $21,401, which is the 2^nd highest among 119 elementary schools in the Duval School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Rufus E. Payne Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Duval:

SchoolDigger ranks Duval 54^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	5.00	1639^th	1688	2.9%
2007	10.99	1658^th	1786	7.2%
2008	18.17	1548^th	1789	13.5%
2009	34.26	1313^th	1847	28.9%
2010	17.32	1676^th	1919	12.7%
2011	19.56	1703^rd	1985	14.2%
2012	14.38	1791^st	1984	9.7%
2013	21.85	1680^th	2029	17.2%
2014	21.89	1714^th	2064	17.0%
2016	20.99	1708^th	2087	18.2%
2017	26.39	1594^th	2112	24.5%
2018	13.89	1920^th	2118	9.3%
2019	26.84	1665^th	2182	23.7%
2021	20.74	1815^th	2247	19.2%
2022	22.15	1786^th	2219	19.5%
2023	27.90	1663^rd	2240	25.8%
2024	45.31	1212^th	2256	46.3%

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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	321	292	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	613
1989	266	253	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	519
1990	297	250	8	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	558
1991	309	291	10	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	618
1992	27	514	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	541
1993	31	520	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	554
1994	24	536	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	562
1995	34	502	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	538
1996	34	502	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	538
1997	33	499	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	533
1998	34	496	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	531
1999	19	491	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
2000	15	476	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	491
2001	13	487	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	500
2002	9	444	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
2003	9	444	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
2004	7	364	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	373
2005	7	398	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
2006	3	404	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	408
2007	6	399	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	7	413
2008	0	352	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	7	359
2009	2	365	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	6	373
2010	4	371	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	4	383
2011	10	396	0	3	0	0	8	0	417
2012	14	374	0	4	0	0	6	0	398
2013	9	335	0	2	0	0	7	0	353
2014	7	339	0	0	0	0	8	0	354
2015	3	289	0	2	0	0	5	0	299
2016	0	280	0	3	0	0	12	0	295
2017	1	291	1	2	0	0	9	0	304
2018	4	308	2	3	0	0	7	0	324
2019	7	261	1	9	0	2	3	0	283
2020	3	250	1	4	0	2	10	0	270
2021	5	217	2	6	0	0	6	0	236
2022	5	250	1	7	1	0	7	0	271
2023	1	213	0	5	0	0	6	0	225
2024	6	204	0	6	1	0	7	0	224

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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	613	29.0	21.1	39.2
1989	519	26.0	19.9	42.4
1990	558	28.0	19.9	43.9
1991	618	30.0	20.6	41.1
1992	541	26.0	20.8	73.6
1993	554	26.0	21.3	76.5
1994	562	30.0	18.7	32.9
1995	538	29.0	18.6	73.4
1996	538	29.0	18.6	73.4
1997	533	29.0	18.4	77.7
1998	531	31.0	17.1	68.5
1999	510	29.0	17.6	86.7
2000	491	30.0	16.4	87
2001	500	31.0	16.1	86.8
2002	454	32.0	14.2	86.3
2003	454	32.0	14.2	86.3
2004	373	30.0	12.4	89
2005	406	28.0	14.5	91.6
2006	408	26.0	15.7	90.4
2007	413	27.0	15.3	93.3
2008	359	25.0	14.4	78.4
2009	373	28.0	13.8	89.6
2010	383	27.0	14.1	87.9
2011	417	28.0	14.8	89
2012	398	29.0	13.7	88.2
2013	353	24.0	14.7	86.4
2014	354	21.0	16.8	80.8
2015	299	22.0	13.5	72.9
2016	295	21.0	14.0	80.7
2017	304	23.0	13.2	87.2
2018	324	20.0	16.2	86.7
2019	283	15.0	18.8	85.5
2020	270	14.0	19.2	85.9
2021	236	12.0	19.6	88.6
2022	271	13.0	20.8	85.6
2023	225	17.0	13.2	84
2024	224	14.0	16.0	86.2

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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	613	29.0	21.1	39.2
1989	519	26.0	19.9	42.4
1990	558	28.0	19.9	43.9
1991	618	30.0	20.6	41.1
1992	541	26.0	20.8	73.6
1993	554	26.0	21.3	76.5
1994	562	30.0	18.7	32.9
1995	538	29.0	18.6	73.4
1996	538	29.0	18.6	73.4
1997	533	29.0	18.4	77.7
1998	531	31.0	17.1	68.5
1999	510	29.0	17.6	86.7
2000	491	30.0	16.4	87
2001	500	31.0	16.1	86.8
2002	454	32.0	14.2	86.3
2003	454	32.0	14.2	86.3
2004	373	30.0	12.4	89
2005	406	28.0	14.5	91.6
2006	408	26.0	15.7	90.4
2007	413	27.0	15.3	93.3
2008	359	25.0	14.4	78.4
2009	373	28.0	13.8	89.6
2010	383	27.0	14.1	87.9
2011	417	28.0	14.8	89
2012	398	29.0	13.7	88.2
2013	353	24.0	14.7	86.4
2014	354	21.0	16.8	80.8
2015	299	22.0	13.5	72.9
2016	295	21.0	14.0	80.7
2017	304	23.0	13.2	87.2
2018	324	20.0	16.2	86.7
2019	283	15.0	18.8	85.5
2020	270	14.0	19.2	85.9
2021	236	12.0	19.6	88.6
2022	271	13.0	20.8	85.6
2023	225	17.0	13.2	84
2024	224	14.0	16.0	86.2

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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,022 (11.5%)	$7,853 (88.5%)	$8,875
2019	$1,004 (11.4%)	$7,797 (88.6%)	$8,801
2020	$916 (10.2%)	$8,041 (89.8%)	$8,957
2021	$1,711 (14.9%)	$9,772 (85.1%)	$11,483
2022	$2,042 (20.8%)	$7,766 (79.2%)	$9,808
2023	$8,657 (40.5%)	$12,743 (59.5%)	$21,401

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rufus E. Payne 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 1665^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1663^rd of 2240 Elementary schools	2.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Rufus E. Payne Elementary School)	40	19	21%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Duval)	51	47	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rufus E. Payne Elementary School)	66	41	25%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Duval)	61	56	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Rufus E. Payne Elementary School)	47	46	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Duval)	52	50	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Rufus E. Payne Elementary School)	51	62	11%
4th Grade Mathematics (Duval)	64	58	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Rufus E. Payne Elementary School)	33	26	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Duval)	50	47	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Rufus E. Payne Elementary School)	49	40	9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Duval)	57	50	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Rufus E. Payne Elementary School)	23	43	20%
5th Grade Science (Duval)	49	48	1%
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	283	225	20.5%
African American	261	213	18.4%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	9	5	44.4%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	7	1	85.7%
Two or More Races	3	6	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	85.5%	84%	1.5%

Schools Near Rufus E. Payne 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 7th 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
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6725 Hema Rd	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 924-3020	224	14	16.0	86.2%	6 (2.7%)	204 (91.1%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.1%)	45.3	1212^th of 2256 public elementary schools	46.3%		27.9	1663^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	25.8%	451	47.0	52.0	47.0				65.0	52.0	42.0				56.0				$21,401	$8,657	$12,743
Tiger Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	6079 Bagley Rd	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	Yes	No	No	Yes	(904) 309-6840	204	0	15.5	99.5%	0 (0.0%)	195 (95.6%)	6 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	17.1	1978^th of 2256 public elementary schools	12.3%		14.4	2043^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	8.8%	65	36.0	27.0	30.0				58.0	30.0	30.0				33.0				$15,638	$2,402	$13,235
S. A. Hull Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7528 Hull St	Jacksonville	32219	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3136	168	9	18.6	76.2%	7 (4.2%)	146 (86.9%)	10 (6.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	21.3	1872^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	17.0%		20	1895^th of 2240 public elementary schools	15.4%	23	28.0	29.0	21.0				56.0	48.0	36.0				44.0				$14,390	$3,813	$10,577
Pickett Elementary School	Public	K-5	6305 Old Kings Rd	Jacksonville	32254	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 693-7555	158	9	17.5	72.2%	73 (46.2%)	75 (47.5%)	6 (3.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	35.4	1476^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.6%		24.5	1753^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	21.7%	277	44.0	42.0	37.0				53.0	62.0	37.0				52.0				$13,937	$3,813	$10,123
George Washington Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2854 W 45th St	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3122	281	14	20.0	85.4%	9 (3.2%)	253 (90.0%)	8 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.2%)	21.1	1877^th of 2256 public elementary schools	16.8%		23.8	1776^th of 2240 public elementary schools	20.7%	101	30.0	32.0	36.0				26.0	51.0	62.0				21.0				$12,840	$3,434	$9,407
Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3501 Winton Dr	Jacksonville	32208	Duval County	Duval	No	Yes	No	Yes	(904) 924-3086	383	27	14.1	74.9%	16 (4.2%)	331 (86.4%)	21 (5.5%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.3%)	17.6	1966^th of 2256 public elementary schools	12.9%		20.7	1882^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	16.0%	84	22.0	37.0	29.0				35.0	54.0	39.0				26.0				$14,810	$3,198	$11,613
Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4346 Roanoke Blvd	Jacksonville	32208	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3077	749	39	19.2	80.2%	31 (4.1%)	669 (89.3%)	35 (4.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.6%)	23.9	1804^th of 2256 public elementary schools	20.0%		23.2	1795^th of 2240 public elementary schools	19.9%	9	26.0	45.0	28.0				49.0	55.0	41.0				31.0				$13,774	$4,016	$9,758
Northwestern Legends Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 W 45th St	Jacksonville	32209	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 924-3100	527	25	21.0	84.6%	12 (2.3%)	464 (88.0%)	14 (2.7%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	29 (5.5%)	1.8	2239^th of 2256 public elementary schools	0.8%		5.4	2197^th of 2240 public elementary schools	1.9%	42	13.0	13.0	11.0				5.0	18.0	21.0				12.0				$10,941	$2,948	$7,993
Biltmore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2101 W Palm Ave	Jacksonville	32254	Duval County	Duval	No	No	No	Yes	(904) 693-7969	201	18	11.1	78.6%	13 (6.5%)	166 (82.6%)	14 (7.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	7.7	2194^th of 2256 public elementary schools	2.7%		14.6	2039^th of 2240 public elementary schools	9.0%	155	33.0	18.0	28.0				33.0	31.0	28.0				20.0				$20,569	$4,094	$16,475
KIPP V.O.I.C.E Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1440 McDuff Ave N	Jacksonville	32254	Duval County	Duval	Yes	No	No	Yes	(904) 683-6643	919	3	306.3	90.4%	27 (2.9%)	834 (90.8%)	33 (3.6%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.2%)	7.1	2200^th of 2256 public elementary schools	2.5%		4	2211^th of 2240 public elementary schools	1.3%	11	26.0	23.0	20.0	31.0	28.0	27.0	30.0	9.0	12.0	33.0	37.0	17.0	29.0	12.0	17.0	65.0	$5,916	$860	$5,056

Frequently Asked Questions about Rufus E. Payne Elementary School

What district is Rufus E. Payne Elementary School in?

Duval

What schools do graduates of Rufus E. Payne Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Rufus E. Payne Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School
High : William M. Raines High School

How many students attend Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 224 students attended Rufus E. Payne Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?

Students at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School are 91% African American, 3% Two or more races, 3% White, 3% Hispanic.

Is Rufus E. Payne Elementary School a good school?

Rufus E. Payne Elementary School ranks 1212^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Rufus E. Payne 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.