The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Math. The lowest is 75% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Wilson Elementary School
Wilson Elementary sits on South Orange Boulevard in Sanford, a pre-K through fifth grade public school in Seminole County Public Schools. Its enrollment is substantial for an elementary campus, spread fairly evenly across grade levels from pre-K through fifth grade. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse: white students form a plurality, with Hispanic, Asian, and Black students each representing meaningful shares, and a notable proportion of students identifying as two or more races. Fewer than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school on the lower end of economic need relative to many Florida elementary schools. Data on English learner and special education populations were not reported in the records available here.
On Florida's FAST assessments, Wilson's academic picture is genuinely strong in most areas, with one notable pattern worth understanding. In third and fourth grade math, proficiency is high, and the same is true across all three tested ELA grades, where results range from solid to strong and run consistently. Fifth grade ELA also holds up well. Fifth grade math, though, lands noticeably lower than the other grades, a gap wide enough that a parent of an older elementary student would be worth asking the school about. The sixth grade math result reported in the data is remarkably high, though it represents a small cohort and likely reflects a specific group of students rather than a general pattern. Fifth grade science proficiency is solid. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, stability, or change from prior years.
The comparison data set for Seminole County contains only a single district, so no within-county peer comparison was possible for this school.
At the district level, Seminole County Public Schools made two policy changes that affect Wilson families directly. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, elementary students are prohibited from using cell phones throughout the school day, phones must stay silenced in backpacks. Separately, beginning in 2024-2025, work completed with AI assistance such as ChatGPT is treated as plagiarism under the student conduct code. Both policies shape the daily classroom environment. Families moving into the area should also know that while the district's property tax millage rate has edged down slightly in recent years, rising home values mean most homeowners are still paying more in total school taxes than before. Voters renewed the countywide infrastructure sales surtax in late 2024, which continues funding school facility improvements, security, and technology for the years ahead.
The surrounding neighborhood and broader Sanford context matter for families considering a move. Sanford sits on the south shore of Lake Monroe, roughly a half-hour north of Orlando, and is in a pronounced growth phase. Publicly reported coverage describes several large apartment and townhome projects underway or approved, and officials have noted that rezonings have outpaced actual construction, with a substantial share of city land still vacant. Home values in the zip code sit close to Florida's statewide median, though they have dipped modestly year over year. Rents have held roughly flat. The estimated monthly ownership cost at current mortgage rates is meaningful relative to national income benchmarks. Families renting pay somewhat less per month than they would own.
The historic downtown is compact and walkable, with restaurants, shops, breweries, and regular street events along First Street and Sanford Avenue. The RiverWalk along Lake Monroe adds pedestrian access to parks and the waterfront. Outside the downtown core the city is more car-dependent. Major employers in the area include Orlando Sanford International Airport, Seminole State College, and Seminole County Public Schools itself. A SunRail commuter rail station provides regional transit access, with a free city trolley connecting it to downtown.
For a family weighing Wilson Elementary, the reading and math results through most grades are a real strength, and the school's demographic mix is genuinely varied. The fifth grade math picture is the one area where a parent would be reasonable to ask pointed questions. The school data does not include information on programs, staffing ratios, attendance, or discipline, so those conversations would need to happen directly with the school.
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