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Hilltop Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1767^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Hilltop Elementary School in Wauchula, FL, is a small, rural school serving 298 students in grades PK-5 within the Hardee County School District, and it has experienced a sharp decline in recent years, dropping from a 4-star rating to a 1-star rating.

This school faces two major challenges that set it apart from nearby schools. First, chronic absenteeism is a severe crisis, with a rate of 39.5% for the 2023-2024 school year—significantly higher than the district average of 35.4% and far worse than Wauchula Elementary School (32.2%) and North Wauchula Elementary School (28.1%). This attendance problem is likely a primary driver of the school's academic struggles. Second, Hilltop shows a critical weakness in early elementary grades, particularly in 3rd grade, where only 29% of students were proficient in ELA and 20% in Math in the 2024-2025 school year—the lowest scores among all nearby schools for that grade. This "3rd grade wall" suggests foundational issues in K-2 instruction that need urgent attention.

Despite these challenges, Hilltop has a remarkable bright spot: its 5th-grade Math program. For the last four years, 5th-grade Math proficiency has consistently exceeded the district average and, in three of those years, even surpassed the state average—with 77% proficiency in 2022-2023 compared to 61% in the district and 55% in the state. This shows that excellence is possible within the school. Interestingly, Wauchula Elementary School, located just 3 miles away and serving a similar student population, is a 3-star school in the 54th percentile, while Hilltop is a 1-star school in the 21st percentile. The key difference appears to be attendance, not funding, as both schools spend about $12,000 per student. For parents, this means that improving attendance and strengthening early-grade instruction could be the most impactful changes to help Hilltop reverse its decline.

298

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,993

Per pupil spending ?

76.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2401 Us Highway 17 N
Wauchula, FL 33873

(863) 773-2750

District: Hardee

Students who attend Hilltop Elementary School usually attend:

High:	Hardee Junior High School
	Hardee Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

71.5%

White:

19.5%

African American:

6.0%

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Compare Hilltop Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 78th percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (48% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg55%

Florida avg62%

1,767^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 57 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Hardee

60^th of 70Hardee among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	1767 of 2240	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.0	1557 of 2258	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.9	1567 of 2256	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.0	1525 of 2240	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.1	1070 of 2219	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.1	683 of 2247	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.1	667 of 2182	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.6	787 of 2118	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	76.8	453 of 2112	78.6%	★★★★☆
2016	76.0	466 of 2087	77.7%	★★★★☆
2014	74.0	485 of 2064	76.5%	★★★★☆
2013	69.4	586 of 2029	71.1%	★★★★☆
2012	59.9	799 of 1984	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.2	726 of 1985	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.6	779 of 1919	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	47.8	1034 of 1847	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math51%-13 vs state

English Language Arts49%-12 vs state

Science38%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hilltop Elementary School

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Ranking:

E = Elementary, M = Middle, H = High, A = Alternative, P = Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)			FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hilltop Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2401 Us Highway 17 N	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-2750	298	19	15.6	76.8%	58 (19.5%)	18 (6.0%)	213 (71.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.3%)	25.9	1767^th of 2240 public elementary schools	21.1%		33	1557^th of 2258 public elementary schools	31.0%	210	44.0	49.0	53.0	44.0	45.0	64.0	38.0	$11,993	$2,161	$9,831
North Wauchula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1120 N Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-2183	516	36	14.3	76.9%	145 (28.1%)	48 (9.3%)	312 (60.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	27.7	1724^th of 2240 public elementary schools	23.0%		25.3	1775^th of 2258 public elementary schools	21.4%	51	56.0	51.0	37.0	61.0	54.0	42.0	41.0	$12,299	$1,985	$10,313
Hardee Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual	K-5	1009 N 6th Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 773-9058	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Wauchula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 S Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3141	577	37	15.5	75.7%	172 (29.8%)	57 (9.9%)	331 (57.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	54.6	1029^th of 2240 public elementary schools	54.1%		61.3	849^th of 2258 public elementary schools	62.4%	180	66.0	63.0	53.0	77.0	58.0	65.0	57.0	$12,166	$1,800	$10,366
Bowling Green Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4530 Church Ave	Bowling Green	33834	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5471	260	18	14.4	82.7%	82 (31.5%)	11 (4.2%)	161 (61.9%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)								(n/a)								$13,792	$2,195	$11,597
Zolfo Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3215 School House Rd	Zolfo Springs	33890	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5473	512	35	14.6	78.5%	187 (36.5%)	3 (0.6%)	305 (59.6%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	47.3	1216^th of 2240 public elementary schools	45.7%		40	1365^th of 2258 public elementary schools	39.5%	149	50.0	57.0	59.0	57.0	70.0	66.0	54.0	$11,916	$1,791	$10,126
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	610 Charleston Ave S	Fort Meade	33841	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 285-1133	593	34	17.4	78.8%	179 (30.2%)	62 (10.5%)	334 (56.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.9%)	17.5	1990^th of 2240 public elementary schools	11.2%		25.2	1779^th of 2258 public elementary schools	21.2%	211	51.0	49.0	35.0	47.0	54.0	37.0	33.0	$11,466	$1,711	$9,755
Scenic Terrace K-8	Public	K-8	2799 Sr 17	Haines City	33844	Polk County	Polk	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(863) 534-0500	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Avon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	705 Winthrop St	Avon Park	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 452-4355	503	35	14.3	68.8%	127 (25.2%)	98 (19.5%)	257 (51.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	55.5	1004^th of 2240 public elementary schools	55.2%		51.1	1089^th of 2258 public elementary schools	51.8%	85	48.0	49.0	64.0	72.0	68.0	74.0	65.0	$14,653	$3,832	$10,822
Sun 'n Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4515 Ponce De Leon Blvd	Sebring	33872	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5464	588	33	17.8	62.9%	208 (35.4%)	139 (23.6%)	188 (32.0%)	22 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (4.8%)	64.1	781^st of 2240 public elementary schools	65.1%		68.1	689^th of 2258 public elementary schools	69.5%	92	65.0	71.0	59.0	77.0	71.0	68.0	56.0	$10,774	$1,366	$9,408

Frequently Asked Questions about Hilltop Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Hilltop Elementary School?

Students at Hilltop Elementary School are 71% Hispanic, 19% White, 6% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Hilltop Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 298 students attended Hilltop Elementary School.

Is Hilltop Elementary School a good school?

Hilltop Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.1% of Florida elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Hilltop Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hilltop Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Hardee Junior High School
High : Hardee Senior High School

What district is Hilltop Elementary School in?

Hardee

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.