Winding Waters K-8

Summary:

Winding Waters K-8 is a public elementary and middle school located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, serving grades PK-8 with an enrollment of 1,622 students. The school is part of the Hernando District, which is ranked 44 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One notable difference at Winding Waters K-8 is its significantly higher percentage of white students (71.09%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 46.44% to 65.95% white students. However, the school has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.3% to 33.0% over the past few years, notably higher than the 12.5% to 37.9% range at nearby schools. Academically, Winding Waters K-8 generally underperforms compared to the Hernando District and Florida state averages on standardized tests, with lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math for most grade levels. The school's statewide ranking has also declined over the years, from 915 out of 2,087 Florida elementary schools in 2015-2016 to 1,715 out of 2,256 in 2023-2024, and it is currently rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

While Winding Waters K-8 has seen an increase in spending per student, from $6,721 in 2019-2020 to $8,454 in 2022-2023, this additional funding does not appear to have translated into improved academic outcomes. In comparison, nearby schools like Chocachatti Elementary and Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math, which are also in the Hernando District, significantly outperform Winding Waters K-8 on standardized tests and have higher school rankings.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 12240 Vespa Way
       Weeki Wachee, FL  34614


(352) 797-7092

District: Hernando

SchoolDigger Rank:
1715th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,454 Help


Students who attend Winding Waters K-8 usually attend:

High:    Weeki Wachee High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.2 Help
Number of students:  1,622

Racial breakdown:

White:
71.1%
Hispanic:
19.3%
Two or more races:
5.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  55.6% Help


 See top rated Florida elementary schools

 Compare Winding Waters K-8 to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Winding Waters K-8 ranks worse than 76% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 13th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Hernando School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.85. (See more...)
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Compare Details Winding Waters K-8 ranks worse than 56.5% of middle schools in Florida. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.97. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Winding Waters K-8 has the largest elementary school student body size in the Hernando School District. Racial makeup is: White (71.1%), Hispanic (19.3%), two or more races (5.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 55.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Winding Waters K-8 is 17.2. 12 elementary schools in the Hernando School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Winding Waters K-8 employs 94 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Winding Waters K-8 is $8,454, which is the lowest among 14 elementary schools in the Hernando School District!
Schooldigger Rankings:

Winding Waters K-8 was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Winding Waters K-8 676th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Winding Waters K-8 in the ranking list.)

Hernando:

SchoolDigger ranks Hernando 44th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Winding Waters K-8?

Rank History for Winding Waters K-8

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 61.93 753rd 1984 62.0%
2013 63.06 719th 2029 64.6%
2014 59.31 834th 2064 59.6%
2016 56.02 915th 2087 56.2%
2017 52.52 1004th 2112 52.5%
2018 46.59 1136th 2118 46.4%
2019 48.23 1120th 2182 48.7%
2021 39.76 1318th 2247 41.3%
2022 40.89 1295th 2219 41.6%
2023 35.63 1452nd 2240 35.2%
2024 26.85 1715th 2256 24.0%
See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Winding Waters K-8

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2014 52.10 480th 999 52.0%
2016 54.88 429th 997 57.0%
2017 54.99 455th 1031 55.9%
2018 50.92 508th 1035 50.9%
2019 50.40 544th 1099 50.5%
2021 51.13 538th 1136 52.6%
2022 41.18 666th 1148 42.0%
2023 44.82 639th 1177 45.7%
2024 43.97 676th 1196 43.5%
See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Winding Waters K-8 Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    










Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Winding Waters K-8

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2012 627 50 3 90 5 1 21 0 797
2013 812 46 7 124 5 1 32 0 1027
2014 950 57 8 138 5 1 39 0 1198
2015 1097 66 7 147 5 1 47 0 1370
2016 1037 56 7 171 5 3 45 0 1324
2017 1027 43 10 165 3 1 38 0 1287
2018 1048 42 7 169 2 2 39 0 1309
2019 1082 40 9 204 2 1 43 0 1381
2020 1080 39 13 227 0 2 49 0 1410
2021 927 34 8 226 0 1 54 0 1250
2022 1108 55 9 289 0 2 79 0 1542
2023 1153 65 7 313 0 2 82 0 1622

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 Winding Waters K-8

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 797 51.0 15.6 61.9
2013 1027 68.0 15.1 63.1
2014 1198 82.0 14.6 64.5
2015 1370 92.0 14.8 64.2
2016 1324 89.0 14.8 66.9
2017 1287 77.0 16.7 65.8
2018 1309 83.0 15.7 57.4
2019 1381 78.0 17.7 49.7
2020 1410 84.0 16.7 50.8
2021 1250 75.0 16.6 52.2
2022 1542 84.0 18.3 56.2
2023 1622 94.0 17.2 55.6

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 Winding Waters K-8

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 797 51.0 15.6 61.9
2013 1027 68.0 15.1 63.1
2014 1198 82.0 14.6 64.5
2015 1370 92.0 14.8 64.2
2016 1324 89.0 14.8 66.9
2017 1287 77.0 16.7 65.8
2018 1309 83.0 15.7 57.4
2019 1381 78.0 17.7 49.7
2020 1410 84.0 16.7 50.8
2021 1250 75.0 16.6 52.2
2022 1542 84.0 18.3 56.2
2023 1622 94.0 17.2 55.6

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 Winding Waters K-8

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $188 (2.9%) $6,313 (97.1%) $6,501
2019 $238 (3.6%) $6,420 (96.4%) $6,658
2020 $201 (3.0%) $6,520 (97.0%) $6,721
2021 $481 (6.5%) $6,900 (93.5%) $7,381
2022 $758 (10.4%) $6,565 (89.6%) $7,323
2023 $1,258 (14.9%) $7,197 (85.1%) $8,454

Data source: Florida Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Winding Waters K-8

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 1120th of 2182 Elementary schoolsRanks 1452nd of 2240 Elementary schools
 13.5%
Ranks 544th of 1099 Middle schoolsRanks 639th of 1177 Middle schools
 4.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Winding Waters K-8)6548
 17%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hernando)5754
 3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5853
 5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Winding Waters K-8)6855
 13%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Hernando)6257
 5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)6258
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Winding Waters K-8)5655
 1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Hernando)5956
 3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5857
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Winding Waters K-8)5953
 6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Hernando)6260
 2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6461
 3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Winding Waters K-8)5050
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Hernando)5249
 3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5655
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Winding Waters K-8)4839
 9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Hernando)5444
 10%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6052
 8%
5th Grade Science (Winding Waters K-8)4744
 3%
   5th Grade Science (Hernando)5555
   5th Grade Science (Florida)5351
 2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Winding Waters K-8)5346
 7%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Hernando)5246
 6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5452
 2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Winding Waters K-8)5535
 20%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Hernando)5343
 10%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)5549
 6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Winding Waters K-8)4642
 4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Hernando)5347
 6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5248
 4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Winding Waters K-8)6649
 17%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Hernando)6256
 6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)5446
 8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Winding Waters K-8)3923
 16%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Hernando)5338
 15%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5649
 7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Winding Waters K-8)5048
 2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Hernando)5034
 16%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)4642
 4%
8th Grade Science (Winding Waters K-8)4645
 1%
   8th Grade Science (Hernando)5443
 11%
   8th Grade Science (Florida)4844
 4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Winding Waters K-8)8168
 13%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Hernando)5147
 4%
   9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5551
 4%
End of Course Civics (Winding Waters K-8)7369
 4%
   End of Course Civics (Hernando)7561
 14%
   End of Course Civics (Florida)7166
 5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Winding Waters K-8)10077
 23%
   End of Course Algebra 1 (Hernando)5953
 6%
   End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)6254
 8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students13811622
 17.5%
African American4065
 62.5%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian97
 22.2%
Hispanic204313
 53.4%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White10821153
 6.6%
Two or More Races4382
 90.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients49.7%55.6%
 5.9%


Schools Near Winding Waters K-8









Frequently Asked Questions about Winding Waters K-8

Students at Winding Waters K-8 are 71% White, 19% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,622 students attended Winding Waters K-8.

Winding Waters K-8 ranks in the bottom 24.0% of Florida elementary schools.

Students who attend Winding Waters K-8 usually go on to attend:

High : Weeki Wachee High 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.





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