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Independence Elementary

Public Grades K-5

216^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,242 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Independence Elementary is a high-performing K-5 school in Winter Garden, FL, serving 889 students within the Orange County school district, and it has earned a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for eight of the last nine years, consistently ranking in the top 10% of all elementary schools in Florida.

This school is a reliably excellent choice, but it operates in a neighborhood packed with elite schools. While Independence is in the 90th percentile statewide, nearby schools like Windermere Elementary and Hamlin Elementary rank in the 98th percentile. One key difference is that Independence achieves its strong results with a more efficient budget, spending $9,609 per student compared to over $11,700 at top peers like Whispering Oak Elementary and Keenes Crossing Elementary. The school also has a slightly higher percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch (11.47%) than its highest-performing neighbors, though this is still very low compared to the district average. A notable area for attention is 5th-grade math, where proficiency (75%) is lower than in 3rd grade (92%) and 4th grade (84%), and also trails the 86% and 88% rates at Whispering Oak and Hamlin.

Independence has shown a remarkable recovery from the pandemic, with chronic absenteeism dropping from a high of 29.6% in 2021-2022 to just 16.3% in 2023-2024—less than half the district average of 35.2%. The school’s 5th-grade science scores are a consistent strength, with 76% of students proficient compared to 60% statewide. For families seeking a consistently strong, 5-star school with a slightly more diverse student body and a proven track record of academic excellence, Independence is an outstanding choice that delivers top-tier education in a competitive corridor.

889

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,609

Per pupil spending ?

11.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6255 New Independence Pkwy
Winter Garden, FL 34787

(407) 217-7727

District: Orange

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bridgewater Middle
High:	Horizon High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.2%

Hispanic:

38.6%

Asian:

9.8%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 90th percentile in 2016 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Florida average (80% vs 62% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Florida elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Orange

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg65%

Florida avg62%

216^th of 2,242

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^th of 162Elementary Schools in the Orange

30^th of 70Orange 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	86.8	216 of 2242	90.4%	★★★★★
2025	87.2	241 of 2258	89.3%	★★★★☆
2024	89.1	207 of 2256	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	87.8	221 of 2240	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	92.5	108 of 2219	95.1%	★★★★★
2021	94.7	62 of 2247	97.2%	★★★★★
2019	92.1	93 of 2182	95.7%	★★★★★
2018	92.8	84 of 2118	96.0%	★★★★★
2017	92.7	82 of 2112	96.1%	★★★★★
2016	87.8	202 of 2087	90.3%	★★★★★

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math83%+19 vs state

English Language Arts79%+18 vs state

Science76%+16 vs state

1.0

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1★1

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Schools Near Independence Elementary

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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 (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 Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Independence Elementary	Public	K-5	6255 New Independence Pkwy	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 217-7727	889	54	16.4	11.5%	393 (44.2%)	27 (3.0%)	343 (38.6%)	87 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.3%)	86.8	216^th of 2242 public elementary schools	90.4%		87.2	241^st of 2258 public elementary schools	89.3%	25	85.0	79.0	73.0	92.0	84.0	75.0		76.0	$9,609	$596	$9,012
Summerlake Elementary	Public	K-5	15450 Porter Rd	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 317-3200	726	45	16.1	8.4%	377 (51.9%)	21 (2.9%)	233 (32.1%)	54 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.5%)	92.8	70^th of 2242 public elementary schools	96.9%		93.6	69^th of 2258 public elementary schools	96.9%	1	89.0	86.0	81.0	96.0	95.0	80.0		80.0	$10,217	$596	$9,620
Keenes Crossing Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5240 Keenes Pheasant Dr	Windermere	34786	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 654-1351	954	61	15.6	14.2%	478 (50.1%)	49 (5.1%)	280 (29.4%)	92 (9.6%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (5.3%)	92.8	73^rd of 2242 public elementary schools	96.7%		90.1	165^th of 2258 public elementary schools	92.7%	92	84.0	88.0	85.0	82.0	89.0	87.0		89.0	$11,724	$834	$10,889
Hamlin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	16145 Silver Grove Blvd	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(407) 317-3200	549	34	16.1	9.5%	263 (47.9%)	26 (4.7%)	185 (33.7%)	51 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	93.6	55^th of 2242 public elementary schools	97.5%		94.9	45^th of 2258 public elementary schools	98.0%	10	85.0	84.0	81.0	92.0	91.0	88.0		87.0	$10,655	$665	$9,990
Sunset Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12050 Overstreet Rd	Windermere	34786	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 905-3724	699	44	15.8	18.5%	270 (38.6%)	35 (5.0%)	316 (45.2%)	42 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.2%)	80.1	388^th of 2242 public elementary schools	82.7%		86.9	246^th of 2258 public elementary schools	89.1%	142	75.0	72.0	73.0	79.0	80.0	72.0		74.0	$12,062	$790	$11,272
Panther Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10151 Summerlake Groves St	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(407) 317-3200	797	43	18.5	11.0%	319 (40.0%)	30 (3.8%)	375 (47.1%)	48 (6.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.8%)	57.1	956^th of 2242 public elementary schools	57.4%		67	717^th of 2258 public elementary schools	68.2%	239	62.0	58.0	61.0	73.0	68.0	61.0		62.0	$8,987	$521	$8,465
Bay Lake Elementary	Public	K-5	12005 Silverlake Park Dr	Windermere	34786	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 217-7960	680	40	17.0	20.3%	231 (34.0%)	44 (6.5%)	316 (46.5%)	67 (9.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.9%)	70.9	612^th of 2242 public elementary schools	72.7%		72.8	563^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	75.1%	49	74.0	70.0	65.0	78.0	74.0	65.0		67.0	$9,505	$540	$8,965
Whispering Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15300 Stoneybrook West Pkwy	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 656-7773	774	47	16.4	14.7%	396 (51.2%)	55 (7.1%)	221 (28.6%)	54 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.6%)	43 (5.6%)	93.4	60^th of 2242 public elementary schools	97.3%		94.9	44^th of 2258 public elementary schools	98.1%	16	87.0	83.0	89.0	85.0	90.0	86.0		89.0	$11,956	$637	$11,320
Castleview Elementary	Public	K-5	9131 Taborfield Ave	Orlando	32836	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 612-4205	693	43	16.1	20.6%	228 (32.9%)	28 (4.0%)	371 (53.5%)	52 (7.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	12 (1.7%)	70.9	610^th of 2242 public elementary schools	72.8%		62.2	822^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	63.6%	212	73.0	67.0	68.0	78.0	71.0	67.0		66.0	$9,590	$615	$8,976
Atwater Bay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11000 Atwater Bay Dr	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 317-3200	748	43	17.3	13.9%	236 (31.6%)	29 (3.9%)	409 (54.7%)	41 (5.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.1%)	82.1	334^th of 2242 public elementary schools	85.1%		82.3	359^th of 2258 public elementary schools	84.1%	25	76.0	68.0	70.0	85.0	88.0	76.0		76.0	$7,113	$434	$6,679

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Elementary

What district is Independence Elementary in?

Orange

How many students attend Independence Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 889 students attended Independence Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary?

Students at Independence Elementary are 44% White, 39% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Yes. Independence Elementary ranks in the top 9.6% of Florida elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bridgewater Middle
High : Horizon High School

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataAug 18, 2026

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

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.