Summary
Woodlawn Elementary School in Sebring, FL, serves 834 students in grades PK-5 and is the largest elementary school in the Highlands district, located in a community where about two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Woodlawn shows a clear split in academic performance: math is a consistent strength, with recent proficiency rates meeting or exceeding state averages, while English Language Arts (ELA) lags behind, with rates below both state and district averages. For example, in the most recent testing year, math scores (70%, 66%, 64%) were solid, but ELA scores (55%, 57%, 51%) fell short. This gap is the largest among nearby schools. On a positive note, Woodlawn has shown surprising strength in 5th-grade science, outperforming the district and state in recent years, though this edge has faded recently. The school also faces a significant challenge with chronic absenteeism, which sits at 34.7%—the second-highest rate in the area, only behind Fred Wild Elementary (36.7%).
Compared to its neighbors, Woodlawn stands out for its low per-student spending of $9,403, the lowest in the district and far less than schools like Avon Elementary ($14,653) or Lake Placid Elementary ($12,897). Despite this, it is not the lowest-performing school, suggesting efficient use of resources. However, nearby schools like Park Elementary (83rd percentile) and Sun 'n Lake Elementary outperform Woodlawn in overall rankings and have lower absenteeism, indicating that Woodlawn’s challenges—especially in literacy and attendance—are not solely due to student demographics. To improve, the school will need to invest in a stable literacy program and tackle absenteeism, likely requiring more funding than its current budget allows.
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