Widewater Elementary

Widewater Elementary is an elementary-level community of average-sized scale in Stafford, Virginia, run under Stafford County Public Schools, caters to 698 students in grades K through 5. That puts it 40% larger than the typical public school in Virginia, which averages around 499 students.

Widewater Elementary is one of 32 schools operated by Stafford County Public Schools, a district that instructs 31,812 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Widewater Elementary reports that the largest single group is Hispanic at 38%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 27% Black, 20% White, 8% multiracial, 6% Asian. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 17%.

On the resource side, On paper, Widewater Elementary has 50 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.0:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 73% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Stafford County (around 45%), the school's rate is north of typical.

With demographic context factored in, Widewater Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 68.1%, the actual is 59.4%, a residual of -8.7 points.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Stafford County indicate median household income runs about $137,807, 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 3%. Widewater Elementary is one of 41 public schools in Stafford County (combined enrollment of about 31,812 students).

Shirley C. Heim Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Widewater Elementary comes 7th of 9 in the immediate cluster, behind the nearby-schools average of 61.9%.

The campus sits in a low-density setting.

Five-year trend. Widewater Elementary's enrollment has fell 10% since 2018, when it stood at 779 (now 698). White enrollment moved from 35% to 20% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 20.0:1 in 2018 to 14.0:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.