West Riverside Elementary School Brings Its “A” Game

Posted on October 2, 2022 By Editor Junior Residents

Photo courtesy of West Riverside Elementary School

West Riverside Elementary School (WRES), Florida’s oldest operating elementary school, entered this 2022-2023 school year as an A-rated school. Located in the heart of the historic district, on Herschel Street, WRES is a Dual Language Magnet School with a neighborhood general education tract. Talya Taylor, the school principal, asserted that the factors that led to the A achievement were intentional scheduling, a focus on state standards, parental involvement, and talented teachers and staff.

“West Riverside is a special place for students to feel included, learn, take risks and find a family,” said Taylor. For the 2022-2023 school year, Taylor would like to embrace the new state standards with hands-on, project-based learning for the students.

The use of school grades provides an easily understandable metric to measure the performance of a school. Parents and the general public can use the school grade and its associated components to understand how well each school is serving its students. With a student population just under 300 students, WRES has an average student-teacher ratio of 20:1, better than most public schools in Duval County. It has a diverse student and family population, and hosts a strong Parent Teacher Association.