Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Hardee

At a glance

60^thof 70 Florida districts▼ 7

Better than 14% of Florida districts

Elementary 5 High 3 Alternative 2Grades PK, KG-12

1009 N 6th Ave
Wauchula, FL 33873-2008·(863) 773-9058·All Florida district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 14.3% of districts

Schools

4,287

Students

Top rankedWauchula Elementary School1030^th of 2,242 Florida elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

Zolfo Springs Elementary School up 147 spots statewide this year

◉

Smallest classes

North Wauchula Elementary School 14.3 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

2★

1★

4 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare Florida districts →See the top-ranked Florida schools →

Summary:

The Hardee school district in Florida serves 9 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 3 high schools, and 1 alternative/virtual school, in a predominantly low-income area where the district ranks 60th out of 70 in the state with a 1-star rating.

The standout school in the district is Hardee Junior High School, which dramatically improved to a 4-star rating and 72nd percentile in 2024-2025, far exceeding the district's overall performance. Its Algebra 1 proficiency rate of 90% was the best in the district and well above the state average of 60%. For elementary schools, Wauchula Elementary School is a model of consistent excellence, exceeding state averages in 3rd Grade Math (77% vs. 66%) and 3rd Grade ELA (66% vs. 60%). In contrast, Bowling Green Elementary School and Hilltop Elementary School struggle significantly, with most proficiency rates well below state averages. The Hardee Virtual Franchise stands out for efficiency, with the lowest spending per student ($3,676), lowest chronic absenteeism (7.5%), and a high graduation rate of 93.8%, exceeding both the district (85.6%) and state (92.2%) averages. Meanwhile, Pioneer Career Academy faces severe challenges, with the highest chronic absenteeism (48.9%), highest free/reduced lunch rate (88.89%), and a 0% proficiency rate in Algebra 1.

Key metrics reveal chronic absenteeism as a critical weakness, with the district average (35.4%) exceeding the state average (31.4%), and the three schools with the highest absenteeism rates all ranking in the bottom 36th percentile or lower. Spending per student varies widely, from $9,635 at Hardee Senior High School to $13,792 at Bowling Green Elementary, yet higher spending does not correlate with better performance. The district's graduation rate (85.6%) lags behind the state (92.2%), though Hardee Senior High (86.6%) and Hardee Virtual Franchise (93.8%) exceed the district average. Overall, the data suggests that resource allocation and instructional strategy matter more than total spending, and the virtual school model shows promise for engaging at-risk students effectively.

Load more schools when map is moved

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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (2026)	EOC Civics (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 (2025)	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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hardee Senior High School	Public	9-12	830 Altman Rd	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3181	1,347	60	22.4	70.9%	354 (26.3%)	65 (4.8%)	893 (66.3%)	15 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (1.4%)	33.8	547^th of 841 public high schools	35.0%		37.6	490^th of 844 public high schools	41.9%	57							41.0	52.0									24.0	48.0	65.0	74.0		$9,635	$1,001	$8,634
Hardee Junior High School	Public	6-12	2401 Us Highway 17 N	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3147	958	55	17.4	76.8%	262 (27.3%)	59 (6.2%)	614 (64.1%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.8%)	33.2	550^th of 841 public high schools	34.6%		57.4	239^th of 844 public high schools	71.7%	311				53.0	53.0	47.0						48.0	57.0	29.0		43.0	57.0				66.0	$10,555	$1,179	$9,375
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	1218^th of 2242 public elementary schools	45.7%		40	1365^th of 2258 public elementary schools	39.5%	147	50.0	57.0	59.0						57.0	70.0	66.0				54.0							$11,916	$1,791	$10,126
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%)	54.7	1030^th of 2242 public elementary schools	54.1%		61.3	849^th of 2258 public elementary schools	62.4%	181	66.0	63.0	53.0						77.0	58.0	65.0				57.0							$12,166	$1,800	$10,366
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	1725^th of 2242 public elementary schools	23.1%		25.3	1775^th of 2258 public elementary schools	21.4%	50	56.0	51.0	37.0						61.0	54.0	42.0				41.0							$12,299	$1,985	$10,313
Pioneer Career Academy	Public	6-12	200 S Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	No	(863) 735-2300	27	1	27.0	88.9%	5 (18.5%)	2 (7.4%)	19 (70.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.7%)								(n/a)																	0.0
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%)	26	1768^th of 2242 public elementary schools	21.1%		33	1557^th of 2258 public elementary schools	31.0%	211	44.0	49.0	53.0						44.0	45.0	64.0				38.0							$11,993	$2,161	$9,831
Hardee Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1009 N 6th Th Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 773-9058	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hardee Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1009 N 6th Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 773-9058	52	0		23.1%	36 (69.2%)	2 (3.8%)	13 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)								(n/a)							64.0	53.0										7.0	75.0	53.0		$3,676	$33	$3,643
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)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Polk	15.03 mi	166	61^st
Highlands	19.71 mi	23	43^rd
Desoto	21.1 mi	11	67^th
Manatee	23.51 mi	90	40^th
Hillsborough	29.26 mi	318	47^th

See the top FL Florida districts

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.