Watson Elementary School

1579 Mary Lou Retton Drive

School District

Marion County Schools
Grade

PK, K-4
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 16, 2023

My daughter is there and she love it and that's makes me want to be there and helping out on what they need me as. And I love being around kids and help them with what they need especially on what they learn.
Submitted by parent on September 01, 2020

The teachers strive to provide strong learning experiences for the students. However, because there is a lack of support from administration, the teachers are unable to handle bullying and unruly students. The students who cause disruptions are not reprimanded and the administration actually reprimands the teachers for admonishing the unruly students. This lack of support has caused many good teachers to leave over the years for other schools despite their great love for their job and their students.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2012

i have had nothing but problems with this school. the communication stinks from the princeple down to the teachers. my kids will be in a different school next year. parents if you care for your kids education stay away from here because they dont!
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2012

Terrible school, terrible principle. Some good staff, but mostly terrible. Some are passive aggressive, and some just don't care. This school needs walls, and a principle that actually cares. The best thing I ever did was transfer my child. He is doing awesome at his new school. And he is much happier...
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2010

This school is in poor shape, both physically with its outdated and ineffective "open classroom" concept, and from an administrative leadership position. Hauling children to sit in the principal's office and turning the lights off in the lunchroom while forcing them to eat silently appear to be the only methods by which children's behaviors are contained. I think it is rather telling that three of my child's kindergarten peers were pulled out by their parents and enrolled in other elementary schools within the first few weeks of the year. One of the kindergarten teachers quit in October she was so frustrated with the school. We are fortunate to have an excellent teacher this year, but have already started looking for a school that will accept transfers for first grade. There is no excuse for the chaos that reigns at this elementary school.
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2010

Watson Elementary is in desperate need of improvement - both physically and administratively. Our daughter attended kindergarten at Watson this fall for five weeks until we transferred her to another area school. In her short time there, she was witness to children kicking, hitting and spitting on her teacher; students were repeatedly suspended for bad behavior; her classroom was evacuated due to an unruly student and she often ate lunch in the dark. While I feel that the teachers are trying their best, they are receiving no support from administration and these issues are being hidden from the public. This school is not conducive to learning for our children! The Board of Ed. needs to investigate what is going on at Watson - in one month I have learned of 11 students transferring and a Kindergarten teacher resigning. Unacceptable!!
Submitted by teacher on April 24, 2010

Teachers at Watson work hard trying to meet the needs of the children. We have many lower economic children. Some of us work 10 hour days planning for these children.