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Kathleen Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1876^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Kathleen Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lakeland, Florida, serving 480 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 61 out of 67 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Kathleen Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Florida elementary schools over the past several years, also receiving a 1-star rating.

Kathleen Elementary School faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 47.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school's test scores are consistently lower than the Polk district and Florida state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math around 40%, compared to 50-60% for the district and state. Additionally, Kathleen Elementary School has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 62.78% to 80.83% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools and the district average.

In comparison, the nearby schools, such as Lincoln Avenue Academy, Rochelle School of the Arts, and Winston Academy of Engineering, have significantly higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and lower free and reduced lunch rates. These schools are also ranked much higher in the state, with some receiving 4 or 5 stars from SchoolDigger. Despite the relatively high per-student spending at Kathleen Elementary School, the school is not seeing commensurate improvements in academic outcomes, suggesting that the resources may not be effectively allocated to address the specific needs of its student population.

453

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,376

Per pupil spending ?

78.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3515 Sheretz Rd
Lakeland, FL 33810

(863) 853-6030

District: Polk

Students who attend Kathleen Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kathleen Middle School
High:	Kathleen Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.4%

Hispanic:

35.1%

African American:

19.6%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Kathleen Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2014 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2014

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (41% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg49%

Florida avg58%

1,876^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

64^th of 86Elementary Schools in the Polk

61^st of 67Polk 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
2025	20.9	1876 of 2258	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.1	1763 of 2256	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.7	1906 of 2240	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.5	1988 of 2219	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	1741 of 2247	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.6	1671 of 2182	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.0	1707 of 2118	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.8	1735 of 2112	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.2	1782 of 2087	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.5	1827 of 2064	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	21.7	1689 of 2029	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.4	1510 of 1984	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	25.9	1565 of 1985	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	27.1	1494 of 1919	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	39.6	1208 of 1847	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	30.3	1338 of 1789	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	48.3	982 of 1786	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	53.6	804 of 1688	52.4%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Science42%-13 vs state

Math42%-19 vs state

English Language Arts41%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kathleen Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)			FAST Math (2025)			Statewide Science Science (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Kathleen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3515 Sheretz Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6030	453	29	15.6	78.8%	192 (42.4%)	89 (19.6%)	159 (35.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.4%)	20.9	1876^th of 2258 public elementary schools	16.9%		25.1	1763^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	21.9%	113	41.0	45.0	37.0	41.0	50.0	36.0	42.0	$12,376	$1,886	$10,490
Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6600 Green Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 815-6633	697	34	20.5	72.9%	280 (40.2%)	124 (17.8%)	269 (38.6%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (2.3%)	24.6	1791^st of 2258 public elementary schools	20.7%		34.5	1502^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	33.4%	289	35.0	44.0	49.0	39.0	46.0	40.0	50.0	$10,776	$1,622	$9,154
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8201 Park Byrd Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6011	662	41	16.1	73.7%	249 (37.6%)	110 (16.6%)	264 (39.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (5.3%)	21.7	1854^th of 2258 public elementary schools	17.9%		27.1	1707^th of 2256 public elementary schools	24.3%	147	62.0	41.0	29.0	54.0	45.0	16.0	25.0	$10,870	$1,537	$9,334
Sleepy Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2285 Sleepy Hill Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 815-6768	711	45	15.8	80.0%	180 (25.3%)	172 (24.2%)	317 (44.6%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.8%)	24.7	1790^th of 2258 public elementary schools	20.7%		35.2	1485^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.2%	305	42.0	44.0	40.0	49.0	41.0	47.0	44.0	$11,576	$1,844	$9,732
Socrum Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9400 Old Dade City Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6050	523	29	18.0	81.3%	252 (48.2%)	88 (16.8%)	162 (31.0%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.1%)	29.1	1672^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	26.0%		29.6	1634^th of 2256 public elementary schools	27.6%	38	34.0	36.0	40.0	46.0	56.0	62.0	48.0	$14,810	$1,704	$13,105
Elementary - N Lakeland	Public	PK, KG-5	3315 Kathleen Road	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(863) 853-6020	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Griffin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3315 Kathleen Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6020	431	19	22.6	80.7%	80 (18.6%)	156 (36.2%)	168 (39.0%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.6%)	21.4	1864^th of 2258 public elementary schools	17.4%		29	1649^th of 2256 public elementary schools	26.9%	215	37.0	35.0	33.0	55.0	40.0	45.0	47.0	$10,784	$1,581	$9,202
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	110 Leelon Rd	Lakeland	33809	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6044	531	32	16.5	71.4%	196 (36.9%)	136 (25.6%)	168 (31.6%)	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	28.9	1678^th of 2258 public elementary schools	25.7%		32.9	1538^th of 2256 public elementary schools	31.8%	140	43.0	42.0	40.0	53.0	61.0	38.0	46.0	$11,696	$1,889	$9,806
North Lakeland Elementary School Of Choice	Public	PK, KG-5	410 Robson St W	Lakeland	33805	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2850	658	38	17.3	77.5%	137 (20.8%)	187 (28.4%)	302 (45.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (4.3%)	6.2	2204^th of 2258 public elementary schools	2.4%		13.2	2081^st of 2256 public elementary schools	7.8%	123	27.0	28.0	25.0	28.0	42.0	22.0	25.0	$11,087	$1,972	$9,115
Idea Lakeland	Public, Charter	K-6	1775 Interstate Dr	Lakeland	33805	Polk County	Idea Public Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(904) 993-1520	452	24	18.8	81.9%	84 (18.6%)	133 (29.4%)	226 (50.0%)	6 (1.3%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Kathleen Elementary School

How many students attend Kathleen Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 453 students attended Kathleen Elementary School.

What district is Kathleen Elementary School in?

Polk

What schools do graduates of Kathleen Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Kathleen Middle School
High : Kathleen Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Kathleen Elementary School?

Students at Kathleen Elementary School are 42% White, 35% Hispanic, 20% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Kathleen Elementary School a good school?

Kathleen Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.9% of Florida elementary schools.

Rate Kathleen Elementary School!

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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.