Robert Willis Elementary School

Summary:

Robert Willis Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 765 and is part of the Manatee District.

Robert Willis Elementary School consistently outperforms the Manatee District and the state of Florida in academic assessments, with significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science compared to the district and state averages. The school has maintained a high statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 5% of Florida elementary schools. While the student population is predominantly White, the school has a more diverse student body compared to some nearby schools, such as Tara Elementary and Braden River Elementary. Additionally, Robert Willis Elementary School has relatively low chronic absenteeism rates and a higher per-student spending compared to the state and district averages.

The consistent academic excellence, diverse student body, and effective strategies to promote regular attendance at Robert Willis Elementary School suggest that the school provides a high-quality educational experience for its students. When compared to nearby schools within the Manatee District, Robert Willis stands out as a top-performing institution, with significantly higher proficiency rates in core subjects. The school's success can be attributed to its effective teaching practices, strong curriculum, and the availability of resources to support student learning.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

14705 The Masters Ave
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

(941) 316-8245

District: Manatee

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,604

Students who attend Robert Willis Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	R. Dan Nolan Middle School
High:	Lakewood Ranch High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 764

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.6%

Hispanic:

16.0%

Two or more races:

8.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Robert Willis Elementary School ranks better than 95% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 5^th among 41 ranked elementary schools in the Manatee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.08. (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 (68.6%), Hispanic (16%), two or more races (8.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 23.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Robert Willis Elementary School is 16.2. 39 elementary schools in the Manatee School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Robert Willis Elementary School employs 47 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Robert Willis Elementary School is $10,604. 31 elementary schools in the Manatee School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Robert Willis Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Manatee:

SchoolDigger ranks Manatee 34^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Robert Willis Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2007	90.32	98^th	1786	94.5%
2008	91.61	79^th	1789	95.6%
2009	88.68	129^th	1847	93.0%
2010	86.53	181^st	1919	90.6%
2011	86.37	191^st	1985	90.4%
2012	91.52	107^th	1984	94.6%
2013	86.13	214^th	2029	89.5%
2014	95.26	34^th	2064	98.4%
2016	91.87	114^th	2087	94.5%
2017	90.54	140^th	2112	93.4%
2018	91.16	121^st	2118	94.3%
2019	90.72	137^th	2182	93.7%
2021	93.88	84^th	2247	96.3%
2022	93.34	87^th	2219	96.1%
2023	93.98	65^th	2240	97.1%
2024	92.08	112^th	2256	95.0%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Robert Willis Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2006	279	9	11	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	318
2007	389	12	16	27	0	n/a	n/a	31	475
2008	459	18	20	40	0	n/a	n/a	34	571
2009	499	17	24	45	0	n/a	n/a	36	621
2010	518	16	25	63	0	n/a	n/a	37	659
2011	517	23	31	114	1	0	7	0	693
2012	547	26	28	109	1	0	15	0	726
2013	535	20	31	108	1	0	22	0	717
2014	553	16	32	92	1	1	26	0	721
2015	559	15	23	100	3	1	28	0	729
2016	572	21	23	91	0	0	39	0	746
2017	572	24	29	111	0	0	38	0	774
2018	585	22	28	105	1	1	43	0	785
2019	575	20	35	106	3	2	34	0	775
2020	572	11	34	89	3	2	31	0	742
2021	510	13	31	96	2	1	31	0	684
2022	568	14	42	103	2	2	49	0	780
2023	543	17	35	107	1	2	60	0	765
2024	524	16	36	122	1	2	63	0	764

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 Willis Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	318	24.0	13.3	5
2007	475	27.0	17.6	7.2
2008	571	33.0	17.3	10.6
2009	621	40.0	16.3	13.2
2010	659	38.0	17.3	17.4
2011	693	39.6	17.5	19.2
2012	726	44.0	16.5	18.3
2013	717	46.0	15.5	15.9
2014	721	42.0	17.1	18.9
2015	729	45.0	16.2	17.4
2016	746	49.0	15.2	19.7
2017	774	47.0	16.4	18.6
2018	785	50.0	15.7	17.1
2019	775	48.0	16.1	19.5
2020	742	49.0	15.1	20.5
2021	684	44.0	15.5	24
2022	780	46.2	16.8	17.7
2023	765	46.0	16.6	22
2024	764	47.0	16.2	23.4

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 Willis Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	318	24.0	13.3	5
2007	475	27.0	17.6	7.2
2008	571	33.0	17.3	10.6
2009	621	40.0	16.3	13.2
2010	659	38.0	17.3	17.4
2011	693	39.6	17.5	19.2
2012	726	44.0	16.5	18.3
2013	717	46.0	15.5	15.9
2014	721	42.0	17.1	18.9
2015	729	45.0	16.2	17.4
2016	746	49.0	15.2	19.7
2017	774	47.0	16.4	18.6
2018	785	50.0	15.7	17.1
2019	775	48.0	16.1	19.5
2020	742	49.0	15.1	20.5
2021	684	44.0	15.5	24
2022	780	46.2	16.8	17.7
2023	765	46.0	16.6	22
2024	764	47.0	16.2	23.4

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 Willis Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$226 (3.0%)	$7,396 (97.0%)	$7,622
2019	$334 (3.9%)	$8,225 (96.1%)	$8,558
2020	$283 (3.1%)	$8,723 (96.9%)	$9,006
2021	$520 (5.5%)	$9,008 (94.5%)	$9,529
2022	$949 (9.7%)	$8,844 (90.3%)	$9,794
2023	$1,011 (9.5%)	$9,592 (90.5%)	$10,604

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Robert Willis 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 137^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 65^th of 2240 Elementary schools	3.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Robert Willis Elementary School)	76	75	1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)	51	46	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Robert Willis Elementary School)	82	84	2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Manatee)	60	59	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Robert Willis Elementary School)	86	80	6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)	56	55	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Robert Willis Elementary School)	86	82	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Manatee)	65	65
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Robert Willis Elementary School)	85	85
5th Grade English Language Arts (Manatee)	52	57	5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Robert Willis Elementary School)	80	88	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Manatee)	60	63	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Robert Willis Elementary School)	75	82	7%
5th Grade Science (Manatee)	48	49	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	775	765	1.3%
African American	20	17	15%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	35	35
Hispanic	106	107	0.9%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	575	543	5.6%
Two or More Races	34	60	76.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	19.5%	22%	2.5%

Schools Near Robert Willis 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
Robert Willis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	14705 The Masters Ave	Lakewood Ranch	34202	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 316-8245	764	47	16.2	23.4%	524 (68.6%)	16 (2.1%)	122 (16.0%)	36 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	63 (8.2%)	92.1	112^th of 2256 public elementary schools	95.0%		94	65^th of 2240 public elementary schools	97.1%	47	79.0	82.0	75.0	82.0	85.0	89.0	71.0	$10,604	$1,011	$9,592
Gilbert W McNeal Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6325 Lorraine Rd	Lakewood Ranch	34202	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 751-8165	659	44	14.9	22.9%	476 (72.2%)	25 (3.8%)	117 (17.8%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.0%)	92.3	106^th of 2256 public elementary schools	95.3%		92.1	113^th of 2240 public elementary schools	95.0%	7	81.0	70.0	83.0	91.0	71.0	89.0	84.0	$10,962	$1,077	$9,886
Pinnacle Academy Inc.	Public	PK	6215 Lorraine Rd	Bradenton	34202	Manatee County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 755-1400	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Braden River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6125 River Club Blvd	Bradenton	34202	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 751-7012	547	39	14.0	40.6%	330 (60.3%)	26 (4.8%)	142 (26.0%)	16 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.7%)	81.1	374^th of 2256 public elementary schools	83.4%		80.4	397^th of 2240 public elementary schools	82.3%	23	67.0	62.0	69.0	79.0	71.0	79.0	67.0	$12,743	$1,148	$11,596
B.D. Gullett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12125 44th Ave E	Bradenton	34211	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 727-2607	1,258	70	17.9	22.8%	865 (68.8%)	48 (3.8%)	213 (16.9%)	46 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (6.8%)	85.9	287^th of 2256 public elementary schools	87.3%		90.6	158^th of 2240 public elementary schools	92.9%	129	70.0	75.0	69.0	75.0	79.0	76.0	71.0	$9,273	$745	$8,527
Selby Preschool	Public	PK	4405 Desoto Rd	Sarasota	34235	Sarasota County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 355-8808	6	5	1.2		3 (50.0%)	2 (33.3%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Community Haven For Adults And Children With Disabilities	Public	PK	4405 Desoto Rd	Sarasota	34235	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 355-8808	5	5	1.0		5 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Tatum Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Tatum Rd	Sarasota	34240	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 316-8188	833	59	14.2	28.5%	651 (78.2%)	20 (2.4%)	99 (11.9%)	18 (2.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.2%)	87.5	237^th of 2256 public elementary schools	89.5%		83.6	325^th of 2240 public elementary schools	85.5%	88	78.0	68.0	76.0	77.0	77.0	78.0	73.0	$14,026	$1,220	$12,806
Tara Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6950 Linger Lodge Rd E	Bradenton	34203	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 751-7660	568	41	13.8	51.4%	304 (53.5%)	33 (5.8%)	161 (28.3%)	40 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.1%)	84.8	304^th of 2256 public elementary schools	86.5%		88.4	207^th of 2240 public elementary schools	90.8%	97	75.0	70.0	61.0	89.0	83.0	79.0	61.0	$12,560	$1,147	$11,413
The Florida Center For Child And Family Development	Public	PK	4620 17th St	Sarasota	34232	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	No	(941) 371-8820	9	9	1.0	33.3%	8 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert Willis Elementary School

What district is Robert Willis Elementary School in?

Manatee

What schools do graduates of Robert Willis Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Robert Willis Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : R. Dan Nolan Middle School
High : Lakewood Ranch High School

Is Robert Willis Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Robert Willis Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 112^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Robert Willis Elementary School?

Students at Robert Willis Elementary School are 69% White, 16% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 2% African American.

How many students attend Robert Willis Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 764 students attended Robert Willis 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.