Robert Willis Elementary School

14705 THE MASTERS AVE

School District

Manatee
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
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 other on March 04, 2025

Such a great school. My daughter loved it here, she was excited to go every day and she had no negative experiences. She made friends, learned so much, and it truly was a pleasure to have had her attend. We moved, but we will never forget her short time at this school. It definitely left a positive impact on her education! Also, her teacher was Mrs. Ison (2nd grade) and she was truly wonderful. Very communicative and supportive.
Submitted by teacher on April 29, 2024

Outstanding school with an amazing staff! The shared knowledge and collaboration among the teaching teams creates an energy and motivation to always strive for higher achievement. The school has an exciting learning environment for both students and staff. Just walking through the halls you will see smiles on the faces of students, staff and visitors. Warm and welcoming every day!
Submitted by other on April 25, 2024

An all around amazing school from the education to school support!
Submitted by teacher on April 25, 2024

Willis elementary is an amazing school. The staff is very welcoming and knows what to do to help the students.
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2023

Fantastic school, excellent PTO and teachers who really care and go above and beyond. Our experience at the school has been wonderful.
Submitted by parent on March 02, 2023

My experience has not been good. Teachers seem to work hard but with so many behavioral issues in most classes the children just get an overall bad education. The administration needs to be much more strict but they are so afraid to do real accountability for all the behavior problems and no matter how much you try to help or get involved, your child is set aside so teachers time are mainly dealing with behavioral issues. To add injury to insult, the front office is not welcoming, I assume they are disgruntled with their job or just bad hires but an overhaul is needed there. Odd thing is this school is rumored to be one of the least behavioral issue elem schools in the area and that's plain scary b/c it's quite bad here. If you are forced to leave your child here then so be it, but if you have other choices I suggest you do that due diligence and find something where you are more in control (as a parent) of your childs education and future success.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2023

We have been at Willis for the past 9 years with 3 children progressing through and will be finished after this year. We have felt really spoiled by the wonderful atmosphere at Willis. The teachers and staff are very engaged and truly care about their students. Parents and families are encouraged to participate in activites. The nature of the times and concern for safety in the past few years has caused some drop off in ability to volunteer but there are many ways to stay involved. My children have been challenged and I felt they were ready to go into middle school. There is truly a family feel and it has really made us rethink using a public school again, simply because we have moved to a public middle school and we really miss the closeness and care we received in elementary school at Willis. We are looking for a smaller school with a great community when we move to middle and high school.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2023

This is our 9th consecutive year as a Willis family. My youngest is currently a 5th grader. We have been beyond happy with our children’s education. The school is like an extended family and my children have definitely felt loved and supported.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2023

Willis is the school that parents wish to have for their children. From the moment you walk in you are greeted by friendly, warm faces happy to help you as a parent, from the patience of the registrar to the knowledge of every staff member in the office. Students are greeted daily with the same warmth and smiles from staff at the car line and crosswalk, you'll always see the Principal outside greeting all the children as they walk in. This is our fourth year at Willis and we have experienced the most wonderful, caring teachers. As a parent I greatly appreciate having the input form that I fill out each year being taken into consideration and my child's learning style & personality matched up with the teacher that best fits their needs. The lines of communication have always been open with every teacher we've had. The Fine Arts Team at Willis is second to none, the Media Specialist is teaching the children how to use software programs, P.E. Coaches are exposing the kids to all sports, they run a Runner's Club & Lacrosse program before school. The Music teacher has different instruments for the kids to use and teachers them how to perform in plays and sing songs. The Art Teacher is patiently teaching different techniques and the STEM teacher is always encouraging kids to explore through play while teaching them about the properties of science. Our family has experienced situations which have required some additional support from counselors at Willis, these are truly caring individuals. There are always activities happening at Willis and you can help as much as you want to or able to, everyone is positive and very responsive.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2023

My children have had an incredible experience attending Willis for the past 3 years. I cannot express how thankful I am to the staff members at the school. My kids have learned so much about so many different things and have excelled in other areas that I wasn’t expecting such as art and music! As for parent involvement, if you want to be involved, just ask. There are so many opportunities to help out and be a part of your child’s school. Book Fairs, dances, family fun events- you name it and it will happen. You can even volunteer in the classroom to help out. The cafeteria staff pays close attention to food allergies and goes above and beyond making sure things are safe for your child. Administration and support services have always addressed any concerns we have had from friendship issues or sibling issues at home. My kids have actually cried at winter break because they want to go to school. They love the staff, teachers, and their friends there. They are excelling in all areas and I highly recommend Willis Elementary.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2023

Our experience at Willis has been wonderful! We have 2 children that have been there throughout their elementary school careers. The teachers are caring and responsive. My children have very different learning styles, and they have both been met by the teachers at Willis. There are plenty of opportunities for the active parent community to be involved. My kids have had the opportunity to pursue additional extracurricular activities through the school. Overall, it’s been a wonderful experience.
Submitted by parent on December 13, 2022

If I could give zero stars I would. My son has dealt with so much bullying at Willis Elementary and the schools response to bullying is removing the victims from the school or classroom because "it disrupts the lives" of the bullies. They don't care at all about the children being harmed. My son has been punched in the stomach and even choked during recess and they just keep telling me to remove him from the school. My son is finally making friends in his class and wants to stay but doesn't want to be harmed. The school cares more about its status than it does the children.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2019

Excellent. We couldn't pick a better school than Willis
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2019

We are not happy, and can't wait to move on to middle school.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2018

C+ the school has a great facility, but it more room to preform accademicaly better; it is not doubt.
Submitted by parent on March 24, 2018

Mrs Stocks was the best thing to happen to our son. She established an amazing foundation for our child over the 2 years he was in her class. Most of the teachers are very impressive. This is a testament to the leadership of Mr Stinger. I would encourage the front office to be more welcoming. Most of the time it feels the parents are not very welcomed.I would encourage more outreach to parents. After school activities like CheerJam have been great for our daughter. Other activities centered around communication and self confidence would be welcomed. I also feel that music in general is underserved in our schools.I don’t know about the underserved students. I do feel there’s only so much that the school can do. I feel very lucky that our kids go here and I would highly recommend this to any parent that values a strong early education for their child.
Submitted by parent on July 25, 2017

School doesn't get much parent involvement which is weird since many mothers don't work. Staff not the friendliest unless you are one of the few who are at the school often. Principal isn't approachable and won't implement strategies to stop bullying. May be time for a change in administration. Uniforms are a plus. Kids need a gymnasium for PE and recess. My child had 1 teacher who didn't smile and didn't seem like she was happy to be there. Other teachers have been outstanding.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2017

This is a horrible school for children that have a difficult time with learning. There really is no reason to give a 3rd grader and F in math if they are struggling. Tell me….does that really help a child to tell them they failed??? Its just takes away their confidence. It just goes to show you this school has a lot to learn about education. If your child is gifted and excels, this is a descent school, because the tests and exams are very challenging. But if you struggle, your child will get ripped apart, so really think twice before you enroll them. The only other plus is the uniforms. Kids play in the blazing Florida sun every day at recess. Absolutely no after school sport activities. Bring your own lunch, the food is horrible. I can’t believe what they serve to children. And the principal should take notes….ban lucky charms food coloring for breakfast.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2017

No organization. You may find a few good teachers, but they are disappearing quickly. Everyone in the main office makes you feel like your bothering them. I agree with the previous post, fundraising is too expensive. I wish I had done more research before registering my children at this school. I am currently looking at other schools. Just because your in a good neighborhood doesn't mean the school is good. Please please do your research and find what's best for your child/ren.
Submitted by other on May 03, 2016

This school has to much emphathis on ridiculous fundraising . It is constant. Big callas with over priced events. This is a public school not a Non Profit entity.