The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Math. The lowest is 55% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Felix a Williams Elementary School
Felix A. Williams Elementary sits on NW Baker Road in Stuart, Florida, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Martin County School District. The school draws a student body that is predominantly white, with Hispanic and Black students making up meaningful shares of enrollment, and a smaller representation of Asian, multiracial, and other groups. Roughly two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves a genuinely mixed economic picture rather than clustering at either end. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs were not available in what was provided.
On academic performance, the picture is strongest in the early tested grades and softens as students move through elementary school. In third-grade math, results on Florida's FAST assessment are notably strong, placing the school well above what one might expect at a comparable elementary. Fourth-grade math holds up reasonably well. By fifth grade, both math and ELA proficiency rates land in the majority-proficient range but are more modest, and fifth-grade science sits below the majority threshold. The ELA pattern across grades shows a similar arc: solid in third grade, then stepping down through fourth and into fifth. Trend data across years was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these patterns are improving, stable, or declining. A parent who wants to understand the trajectory, particularly the slide from third to fifth grade, would benefit from asking the school directly what supports are in place as students advance.
The school is part of a district that, publicly reported, earned a return to an "A" state accountability rating for the 2024-2025 school year after several years at "B," with all district-operated schools landing at "C" or higher. That context matters: Williams sits within a district that is trending upward by Florida's own accountability measure. The district has also sustained a voter-approved operating millage that funds teacher pay, school safety, mental health services, and academic programming, and voters were asked to renew it again in late 2024. A separate half-cent sales tax, now expiring, financed capital improvements and school replacements across the county. These are not abstractions for families: they shape staffing stability and building quality in ways that affect daily school life.
Stuart itself is a coastal city on the St. Lucie River and serves as Martin County's seat. Its downtown is compact and publicly reported as walkable, anchored by independent shops, restaurants, galleries, and a Riverwalk boardwalk that functions as the community's social center. The surrounding neighborhoods are largely residential, and the school campuses across the district sit on standalone sites rather than in the downtown core. Stuart's major employers span healthcare (Cleveland Clinic Martin North Hospital is a dominant presence), the school district itself, county and city government, and marine industry businesses. The area is growing, with publicly reported migration from the Northeast and new residential development underway, including a mixed-use project on Kanner Highway that brings some affordable housing through Florida's Live Local Act. Residents have raised concerns about traffic and the pace of development.
Housing near the school is a meaningful consideration. Home values in the zip code have pulled back year-over-year, landing below both the state median and the national median by a visible margin, though they remain at a level that places purchasing out of reach without substantial income. Estimated monthly carrying costs on a purchase with a standard down payment run close to a typical month's rent, making the rent-versus-buy calculation relatively tight. Rents have been essentially flat over the past year. For families relocating, Stuart offers more affordability than much of coastal South Florida, though not by the margin that makes it an easy entry market.
Program details for Felix A. Williams specifically were not available in the data provided, so the depth of enrichment, arts, or intervention offerings cannot be described here. A family considering enrollment would want to ask the school directly about reading intervention supports given the fifth-grade ELA results, and about what the transition into middle school looks like for students who entered at different proficiency levels.
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