Watkins Elementary

Q: Is Watkins Elementary a good school?

Watkins Elementary ranks 509 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Watkins Elementary is a public elementary school in Springfield, Missouri, serving 250 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Springfield R-XII school district, which is ranked 182 out of 386 districts in the state.

Watkins Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Missouri elementary schools, with a SchoolDigger star rating ranging from 0 to 2 out of 5. The school faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates (25.9% to 37.6%), consistently low test scores in mathematics, science, and English language arts across grade levels, and a high percentage of students (62.16% to 81.6%) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. In comparison, nearby schools like Bissett Elementary, Boyd Elementary, and Truman Elementary generally perform better on these key metrics.

However, Watkins Elementary's low-income students perform better than the school's overall performance, ranking in the top 25% of Missouri elementary schools for this subgroup in 2023-2024. This suggests that the school may benefit from targeted interventions and support to address the unique needs of its student population and improve attendance, academic achievement, and overall school climate.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

732 W Talmage
Springfield, MO 65803-1118

(417) 523-5000

District: Springfield R-Xii

SchoolDigger Rank:
509^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,292

Students who attend Watkins Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Reed Middle
High:	Hillcrest High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 250

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.0%

African American:

14.8%

Hispanic:

10.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.4%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Watkins Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Watkins Elementary ranks worse than 56.2% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 16^th among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.81. (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 (62%), African American (14.8%), Hispanic (10%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Watkins Elementary is 11.7, which is the 6^th best among 34 elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District. (See more...)

Compare Watkins Elementary employs 21.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Watkins Elementary is $11,292. 26 elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Watkins Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Watkins Elementary 509^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Watkins Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Springfield R-Xii:

SchoolDigger ranks Springfield R-Xii 182^nd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Watkins Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Watkins Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	41.69	691^st	1074	35.7%
2007	27.22	909^th	1080	15.8%
2008	50.26	560^th	1084	48.3%
2009	40.49	715^th	1053	32.1%
2010	38.75	751^st	1066	29.5%
2011	31.95	848^th	1088	22.1%
2012	14.67	985^th	1085	9.2%
2013	13.83	1018^th	1108	8.1%
2014	16.23	974^th	1089	10.6%
2015	14.82	949^th	1058	10.3%
2016	10.44	793^rd	865	8.3%
2017	11.12	952^nd	1032	7.8%
2018	13.68	937^th	1045	10.3%
2019	13.39	948^th	1052	9.9%
2021	16.00	757^th	901	16.0%
2022	26.69	678^th	908	25.3%
2023	24.35	710^th	898	20.9%
2024	44.81	509^th	906	43.8%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watkins Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	9.77	852^nd	887	3.9%
2019	17.18	830^th	907	8.5%
2021	16.43	524^th	574	8.7%
2022	34.65	364^th	532	31.6%
2023	30.86	455^th	611	25.5%
2024	71.62	108^th	625	82.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Watkins Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	6.71	889^th	898	1.0%
2019	4.49	913^th	917	0.4%
2021	7.71	666^th	691	3.6%
2023	10.99	632^nd	673	6.1%
2024	24.65	530^th	668	20.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Watkins Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	351	351
1992	320	9	5	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	337
1993	323	13	2	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	340
1994	354	13	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	375
1995	268	9	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	285
1996	268	9	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	285
1997	270	10	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	284
1998	245	12	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	260
1999	244	16	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	264
2000	248	18	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	269
2001	238	18	6	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	265
2002	261	30	3	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	312
2003	261	30	3	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	312
2004	249	18	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	276
2005	247	18	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	273
2006	237	14	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	260
2007	247	30	1	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	283
2008	233	18	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	256
2009	258	26	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	288
2010	253	26	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	286
2011	280	27	4	5	1	0	2	0	319
2012	269	25	2	11	4	0	12	0	323
2013	267	14	3	15	2	0	16	0	317
2014	280	17	2	13	1	0	20	0	333
2015	257	28	2	11	3	0	15	0	316
2016	251	38	1	10	5	1	14	0	320
2017	234	29	1	9	6	1	21	0	301
2018	209	35	1	12	7	3	15	0	282
2019	209	20	0	12	4	2	21	0	268
2020	196	17	3	10	4	2	17	0	249
2021	165	16	1	9	3	1	18	0	213
2022	157	22	1	14	2	2	24	0	222
2023	164	34	1	23	2	3	23	0	250
2024	155	37	6	25	2	1	24	0	250

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 Watkins Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	351	18.3	19.1	41.3
1992	337	19.6	17.1	48.7
1993	340	19.0	17.9	49.7
1994	375	20.3	18.5	52.5
1995	285	17.4	16.4	62.1
1996	285	17.4	16.4	62.1
1997	284	17.5	16.2	51.1
1998	260	17.8	14.6	51.2
1999	264	18.8	14.0	66.3
2000	269	19.8	13.6	57.6
2001	265	17.3	15.3	65.3
2002	312	20.9	14.9	59.9
2003	312	20.9	14.9	59.9
2004	276	21.1	13.1	64.1
2005	273	18.0	15.2	65.9
2006	260	19.0	13.7	72.7
2007	283	17.9	15.8	64.7
2008	256	19.4	13.2	65.6
2009	288	18.1	15.9	76.4
2010	286	19.8	14.3	78.3
2011	319	21.1	15.0	80.3
2012	323	22.5	14.3	87.3
2013	317	22.6	14.0	83.6
2014	333	22.3	14.8	79.6
2015	316	23.0	13.7	77.5
2016	320	22.0	14.5	70.9
2017	301	21.7	13.8	75.1
2018	282	21.5	13.0	76.2
2019	268	22.4	11.9	80.2
2020	249	21.6	11.5	75.5
2021	213	17.9	11.8	77
2022	222	14.8	14.9	62.2
2023	250	18.0	13.8	81.6
2024	250	21.2	11.7	82.4

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 Watkins Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	351	18.3	19.1	41.3
1992	337	19.6	17.1	48.7
1993	340	19.0	17.9	49.7
1994	375	20.3	18.5	52.5
1995	285	17.4	16.4	62.1
1996	285	17.4	16.4	62.1
1997	284	17.5	16.2	51.1
1998	260	17.8	14.6	51.2
1999	264	18.8	14.0	66.3
2000	269	19.8	13.6	57.6
2001	265	17.3	15.3	65.3
2002	312	20.9	14.9	59.9
2003	312	20.9	14.9	59.9
2004	276	21.1	13.1	64.1
2005	273	18.0	15.2	65.9
2006	260	19.0	13.7	72.7
2007	283	17.9	15.8	64.7
2008	256	19.4	13.2	65.6
2009	288	18.1	15.9	76.4
2010	286	19.8	14.3	78.3
2011	319	21.1	15.0	80.3
2012	323	22.5	14.3	87.3
2013	317	22.6	14.0	83.6
2014	333	22.3	14.8	79.6
2015	316	23.0	13.7	77.5
2016	320	22.0	14.5	70.9
2017	301	21.7	13.8	75.1
2018	282	21.5	13.0	76.2
2019	268	22.4	11.9	80.2
2020	249	21.6	11.5	75.5
2021	213	17.9	11.8	77
2022	222	14.8	14.9	62.2
2023	250	18.0	13.8	81.6
2024	250	21.2	11.7	82.4

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 Watkins Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$912 (8.6%)	$9,691 (91.4%)	$10,603
2020	$1,393 (13.2%)	$9,159 (86.8%)	$10,552
2021	$1,100 (9.5%)	$10,528 (90.5%)	$11,628
2022	$2,671 (23.7%)	$8,621 (76.3%)	$11,292

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Watkins 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 948^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 710^th of 898 Elementary schools	11%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Watkins Elementary)	25.7	30	4.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	37	33.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Watkins Elementary)	22.8	36.7	13.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	46	39.5	6.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Watkins Elementary)	34.1	41.9	7.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	41.4	40.8	0.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Watkins Elementary)	34.1	26.1	8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	50.2	42	8.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	44.3	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Watkins Elementary)	10.7	15	4.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	36	35.8	0.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Watkins Elementary)	17.9	19.2	1.3%
5th Grade Science (Springfield R-Xii)	41.2	39.9	1.3%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Watkins Elementary)	28.5	22.6	5.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	49.3	44.9	4.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	268	250	6.7%
African American	20	34	70%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	12	23	91.7%
Pacific Islander	2	3	50%
White	209	164	21.5%
Two or More Races	21	23	9.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	80.2%	81.6%	1.4%

Schools Near Watkins Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)			MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Watkins Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	732 W Talmage	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-5000	250	21	11.7	82.4%	155 (62.0%)	37 (14.8%)	25 (10.0%)	6 (2.4%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (9.6%)	44.8	509^th of 906 public elementary schools	43.8%		24.4	710^th of 898 public elementary schools	20.9%	201	37.8		29.8	29.8	40.5	48.4	36.0	$11,292	$2,671	$8,621
Bowerman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2148 N Douglas	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1400	249	20	12.4	89.2%	155 (62.2%)	39 (15.7%)	26 (10.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	26 (10.4%)	17.9	748^th of 906 public elementary schools	17.4%		26.1	697^th of 898 public elementary schools	22.4%	51	23.4	14.0	17.7			30.2	23.7	$12,842	$1,685	$11,156
Williams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2205 W Kearney	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-2000	374	28	13.3	84.8%	260 (69.5%)	38 (10.2%)	43 (11.5%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	3 (0.8%)	25 (6.7%)	24.1	697^th of 906 public elementary schools	23.1%		24.4	709^th of 898 public elementary schools	21.0%	12	19.7	23.3	20.6	22.9	19.7	38.8	38.0	$11,150	$1,575	$9,575
Weaver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1461 N Douglas	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1200	191	17	11.2	94.2%	120 (62.8%)	21 (11.0%)	19 (9.9%)	6 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	24 (12.6%)	13.2	800^th of 906 public elementary schools	11.7%		13.3	789^th of 898 public elementary schools	12.1%	11	15.5	20.0	10.5	24.3	21.7	20.6	18.0	$12,785	$3,030	$9,755
Robberson Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 E Kearney	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1800	165	13	12.4	84.2%	103 (62.4%)	20 (12.1%)	29 (17.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	12 (7.3%)	30.4	653^rd of 906 public elementary schools	27.9%		29.3	666^th of 898 public elementary schools	25.8%	13		13.4	40.5	29.7		23.4		$15,438	$3,810	$11,628
Boyd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1409 Washington	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1500	219	18	12.5	83.1%	122 (55.7%)	54 (24.7%)	22 (10.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (8.2%)	15.6	777^th of 906 public elementary schools	14.2%		13.3	788^th of 898 public elementary schools	12.2%	11	18.8	3.3	18.3			13.9	36.5	$14,715	$2,380	$12,335
Fremont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2814 N Fremont	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1700	390	26	15.0	82.1%	236 (60.5%)	68 (17.4%)	34 (8.7%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	47 (12.1%)	30.7	649^th of 906 public elementary schools	28.4%		26.9	692^nd of 898 public elementary schools	22.9%	43	26.0	32.1	38.5	35.0	20.4	27.2	33.2	$11,694	$2,792	$8,902
Truman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3850 N Farm Rd 159	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-5100	305	22	14.1	49.5%	244 (80.0%)	17 (5.6%)	14 (4.6%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	3 (1.0%)	22 (7.2%)	59.6	352^nd of 906 public elementary schools	61.1%		51.5	440^th of 898 public elementary schools	51.0%	88	24.4	48.7	44.7	55.2	42.1	59.4		$14,678	$3,121	$11,557
Weller Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1630 N Weller	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1900	288	25	11.7	83.0%	162 (56.3%)	42 (14.6%)	56 (19.4%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.7%)	4 (1.4%)	18 (6.3%)	17.3	755^th of 906 public elementary schools	16.7%		28.7	675^th of 898 public elementary schools	24.8%	80	21.3	28.4	18.2	16.0	19.2	30.8	17.2	$12,301	$2,213	$10,089
York Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 Nichols	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3000	227	17	13.3	91.2%	152 (67.0%)	23 (10.1%)	21 (9.3%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	27 (11.9%)	32.5	634^th of 906 public elementary schools	30.0%		52.2	431^st of 898 public elementary schools	52.0%	203	35.2	25.9	29.4					$12,429	$1,808	$10,621

Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Watkins Elementary?

Students at Watkins Elementary are 62% White, 15% African American, 10% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Watkins Elementary in?

Springfield R-Xii

How many students attend Watkins Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 250 students attended Watkins Elementary.

Is Watkins Elementary a good school?

Watkins Elementary ranks 509^th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Watkins Elementary attend?

Students who attend Watkins Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Reed Middle
High : Hillcrest High

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.