Combee Academy Of Design And Engineering

Combee Academy Of Design And Engineering is a public magnet elementary school in Lakeland, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 529 students. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 61 out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Combee Academy's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, is generally below the Polk district and Florida state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 55% to 64%, compared to 47% to 53% for the district and 56% to 63% for the state. The school also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 39.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Combee Academy has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 59.89% to 74.29% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby schools, Combee Academy's academic performance lags behind high-performing public charter schools like South McKeel Academy and McKeel Academy Central, which have significantly higher proficiency rates in ELA and Math, with some grades reaching over 80% proficiency. Combee Academy's higher spending per student, ranging from $9,904 in 2020-2021 to $12,098 in 2023-2024, has not translated to improved academic outcomes, suggesting the need for further investigation into the school's instructional practices, resource allocation, and support systems for students.