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Dixieland Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
2063rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools
Better than 9% of Florida elementary schools
Summary

Dixieland Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lakeland, Florida, serving 325 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. Dixieland Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Florida elementary schools, with a 1-star rating for most of the past decade.

Dixieland Elementary faces several significant challenges. The school has very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 41.5% over the past few years, which is much higher than the Polk County and Florida state averages. Additionally, the school's test scores are consistently below the Polk County and state averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2024-2025, only 21% of 5th graders were proficient or better in Science, compared to 45% in Polk County and 55% statewide. The school also serves a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 64.85% to 80.31% over the past few years.

Interestingly, several nearby charter schools, such as McKeel Academy Central and Magnolia Montessori Academy, significantly outperform Dixieland Elementary on test scores, chronic absenteeism, and other key metrics. These charter schools have much higher rankings and ratings from SchoolDigger. While the high rates of free/reduced lunch at Dixieland Elementary suggest that the school serves a lower-income population, which may contribute to the lower academic performance, some nearby traditional public schools with similar demographics are performing better, indicating that factors beyond just socioeconomic status may be at play.

344
Students ?
17.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$11,420
Per pupil spending ?
81.7%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 416 Ariana St
       Lakeland, FL  33803

(863) 499-2930

District: Polk


Students who attend Dixieland Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Lakeland Senior High School
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
43.0%
African American:
26.5%
White:
24.7%
more
 See top rated Florida elementary schools

 Compare Dixieland Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2014 → 9th in 2025
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Florida average (36% vs 58% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)
!High chronic absenteeism (42% vs 31% Florida)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school36%
District avg49%
Florida avg58%
2,063rd of 2,258
Florida public elementary schools ?
Bottom 9%▼ down 29 pts since 2016
From bottom 38% (2016) to bottom 9% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
77th of 86Elementary Schools in the Polk
61st 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankFlorida percentileRating
202513.82063 of 22588.6%☆☆☆☆☆
202428.41665 of 225626.2%★☆☆☆☆
202326.01719 of 224023.3%★☆☆☆☆
202222.71771 of 221920.2%★☆☆☆☆
202124.61712 of 224723.8%★☆☆☆☆
201925.21710 of 218221.6%★☆☆☆☆
201832.61459 of 211831.1%★★☆☆☆
201728.31547 of 211226.8%★☆☆☆☆
201638.81296 of 208737.9%★★☆☆☆
201465.3693 of 206466.4%★★★☆☆
201380.6344 of 202983.0%★★★★☆
201273.4501 of 198474.7%★★★★☆
201165.0730 of 198563.2%★★★☆☆
201057.3880 of 191954.1%★★★☆☆
200963.0711 of 184761.5%★★★☆☆
200836.71210 of 178932.4%★★☆☆☆
200744.51049 of 178641.3%★★☆☆☆
200626.91270 of 168824.8%★☆☆☆☆
By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?
Math38%-22 vs state
English Language Arts38%-18 vs state
Science21%-34 vs state

3.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
51
40
30
20
11
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What people are saying
by a parent
Friday, April 14, 2017

Open Quote I wish there was an option to give zero stars. I've dealt with this school for a few years now my kids have had issues at PE and with other kids. No one at this school seems to care. They like to avoid the issues instead of resolve them. Teachers never send things home. There is no communication, no accountability, no progress and no future. This school is just getting worse and worse and no one on staff seems to care. No more bullying!!!!! No more unpunished hitting other kids!!!! No more bleeding at PE and a band-aid being slapped on open wounds that need attention. No more kicking! No more hitting! No more ignoring parents! No more ignoring safety!!! Fence the school!! Keep kids safe!!! PE in an open park is not safe. It's a target!!! Gangs are bringing guns into schools in this area!!!! Our children are not safe!!!! Kids are learning to hit other kids is ok because they aren't punished for it. Kids are learning nothing in class because of behavior problems and constant disruption. Then those disruptions are ignored and even catered to!!!!!! No wonder the school grade is dropping!!!!! No one at the school cares!!!!! Stay away!!!! Do everything you can to take your kids away from this school!!!! Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, January 10, 2010

Open Quote I love Dixieland Elementary School! The Principal to the cafeteria workers and all in between are there for the students! I attended Dixieland as a child and when I started a family I moved back into the Dixieland's school zone just so my 3 children could have a wonderful, loving, educational,encouraged elementary school experience strong foundation volunteer at the school a couple times a month and can't imagine being anywhere else.
The school is an A school! The staff is an A staff! The students are A students! Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Dixieland Elementary School

Students at Dixieland Elementary School are 43% Hispanic, 26% African American, 25% White, 5% Two or more races.

In the 2024-25 school year, 344 students attended Dixieland Elementary School.

Dixieland Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.6% of Florida elementary schools.

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

High : Lakeland Senior High 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.





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