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Denison Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

1054^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,205 Florida Middle Schools

Better than 13% of Florida middle schools

Summary

Denison Middle School is a public middle school located in Winter Haven, Florida, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 729 students. The school is part of the Polk District, which is ranked 61 out of 67 districts in Florida and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Denison Middle School faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 39.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the Polk District and state averages. The school's test scores are also generally lower than the Polk District and Florida state averages across various subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math around 30-35%, compared to the Polk District's 44-53% and the state's 55-60%. Additionally, Denison Middle School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 67.28% to 76.95% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Union Academy, Berkley Accelerated, and Jewett Middle Academy Magnet, generally perform better than Denison Middle School on key metrics like test scores, chronic absenteeism, and free/reduced lunch rates. These schools are also ranked higher by SchoolDigger, with some being rated 3 or 4 stars out of 5. The high chronic absenteeism rates and high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds at Denison Middle School may be contributing factors to the school's lower academic performance, suggesting opportunities for improvement through targeted interventions and collaboration with the higher-performing nearby schools.

684

Students ?

24.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,243

Per pupil spending ?

75.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Avenue A SE
Winter Haven, FL 33880

(863) 291-5353

District: Polk

Students who attend Denison Middle School usually attend:

High:

Winter Haven Senior High School

Feeder schools for Denison Middle School:

Elementary:	Elbert Elementary School
	Garden Grove Elementary School
	John Snively Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

39.5%

African American:

38.7%

White:

18.7%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Denison Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 16th percentile in 2014 → 13th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (35% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Math scores 25 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg43%

Florida avg58%

1,054^th of 1,205

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 17% (2016) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

19^th of 24Middle Schools in the Polk

61^st 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	1054 of 1205	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.2	1063 of 1196	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	1056 of 1177	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.7	1015 of 1148	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.1	1059 of 1136	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.4	974 of 1099	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.9	890 of 1035	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.3	873 of 1031	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.2	829 of 997	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.6	840 of 999	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	24.8	734 of 956	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	23.3	696 of 897	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.3	640 of 891	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.6	624 of 839	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.0	547 of 780	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.0	521 of 740	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	37.5	493 of 736	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	38.4	449 of 675	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	30.0	453 of 602	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Geometry100%+45 vs state

Civics80%+9 vs state

Algebra 168%+8 vs state

English Language Arts35%-23 vs state

Math31%-25 vs state

Science26%-23 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, August 8, 2016

I think it's time the Polk County School Board steps up and does something about their troubled schools. Denison is one of the worse and I have the misfortune to be raising three grandchildren who have attended this low grade school. It has effected the boy the most and they don't care. Florida needs to pay closer attention. Denison Middle is ranked 808? How sad for our future leaders. Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, March 30, 2011

When I went to school there, it was not a safe haven for learning... Bullies ran rampant, and most of the time the students without money were ignored... Close Quote

Schools Near Denison Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)					FAST Math (2025)			Statewide Science Science (2025)	EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Geometry (2025)	EOC Biology 1 (2025)	EOC US History (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th 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
Denison Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Avenue A SE	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5353	684	28	24.4	75.4%	128 (18.7%)	265 (38.7%)	270 (39.5%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.9%)	16.1	1054^th of 1205 public middle schools	12.5%		14.2	1063^rd of 1196 public middle schools	11.1%	9	36.0	35.0	33.0			30.0	29.0	35.0	26.0	68.0	100.0			80.0	$10,243	$1,529	$8,714
Jewett Middle Academy Magnet	Public, Magnet	6-8	601 Martin Luther King Jr Blv	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 291-5320	566	26	21.7	58.3%	198 (35.0%)	194 (34.3%)	133 (23.5%)	22 (3.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.0%)	64.8	391^st of 1205 public middle schools	67.6%		57	489^th of 1196 public middle schools	59.1%	98	77.0	60.0	62.0			73.0	53.0	56.0	51.0	79.0	97.0			95.0	$10,438	$1,224	$9,214
Westwood Middle School	Public	6-8	3520 Avenue J NW	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5484	712	44	16.1	77.2%	123 (17.3%)	233 (32.7%)	322 (45.2%)	4 (0.6%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.4%)	19.9	1005^th of 1205 public middle schools	16.6%		11.6	1094^th of 1196 public middle schools	8.5%	89	37.0	36.0	38.0			61.0	23.0	20.0	29.0	75.0	100.0			85.0	$12,030	$1,699	$10,331
Jere L. Stambaugh Middle	Public	6-8	226 Main St N	Auburndale	33823	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5494	1,013	46	22.0	75.8%	369 (36.4%)	196 (19.3%)	405 (40.0%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	31 (3.1%)	19.3	1016^th of 1205 public middle schools	15.7%		13.8	1068^th of 1196 public middle schools	10.7%	52	45.0	37.0	30.0			48.0	35.0	20.0	28.0	67.0	86.0			81.0	$9,690	$1,501	$8,188
Lake Alfred Polytech Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	925 Buena Vista Dr N	Lake Alfred	33850	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 295-5988	734	36	20.3	72.8%	214 (29.2%)	153 (20.8%)	341 (46.5%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.7%)	33.1	847^th of 1205 public middle schools	29.7%		32	843^rd of 1196 public middle schools	29.5%	4	56.0	42.0	42.0			60.0	21.0	42.0	39.0	79.0				88.0	$10,216	$1,349	$8,867
Discovery Academy Of Lake Alfred	Public, Charter	6-8	1000 Buena Vista Dr N	Lake Alfred	33850	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 295-5955	1,039	48	21.6	66.8%	302 (29.1%)	183 (17.6%)	505 (48.6%)	10 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (3.6%)	48.3	615^th of 1205 public middle schools	49.0%		42.8	689^th of 1196 public middle schools	42.4%	74	64.0	48.0	58.0			46.0	43.0	59.0	54.0	84.0	100.0			82.0	$8,375	$544	$7,830
Dundee Ridge Middle Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	5555 Lake Trask Rd	Dundee	33838	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 419-3088	725	36	20.1	72.0%	138 (19.0%)	140 (19.3%)	421 (58.1%)	10 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	12 (1.7%)	51	577^th of 1205 public middle schools	52.1%		58.5	465^th of 1196 public middle schools	61.1%	112	60.0	60.0	54.0			52.0	19.0	65.0	50.0	81.0	94.0			98.0	$9,865	$1,162	$8,703
Daniel Jenkins Academy Of Technology Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	701 Ledwith Ave	Haines City	33844	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 421-3267	506	25	20.2	72.5%	39 (7.7%)	162 (32.0%)	292 (57.7%)	4 (0.8%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	52.4	557^th of 1205 public middle schools	53.8%		51.7	564^th of 1196 public middle schools	52.8%	7	58.0	54.0	60.0			59.0	35.0	51.0	61.0	85.0	76.0			98.0	$10,514	$1,479	$9,034
Shelley S. Boone Middle School	Public	6-8	225 22nd St S	Haines City	33844	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 421-3302	1,329	50	26.5	64.7%	149 (11.2%)	372 (28.0%)	773 (58.2%)	14 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.5%)	12 (0.9%)	12	1095^th of 1205 public middle schools	9.1%		13.5	1072^nd of 1196 public middle schools	10.4%	23	33.0	28.0	27.0			38.0	14.0	28.0	25.0	76.0	93.0			70.0	$8,790	$1,170	$7,619
Berkley Accelerated	Public, Charter	6-10	5316 Berkley Rd	Auburndale	33823	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 984-2400	622	31	20.0	30.7%	421 (67.7%)	30 (4.8%)	145 (23.3%)	9 (1.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.3%)	73.2	290^th of 1205 public middle schools	75.9%		76.9	240^th of 1196 public middle schools	79.9%	50	81.0	70.0	66.0	80.0	78.0	90.0	73.0	24.0	36.0	91.0	53.0	88.0	85.0	85.0	$7,956	$318	$7,638

Frequently Asked Questions about Denison Middle School

What high school do graduates of Denison Middle School attend?

Students who attend Denison Middle School usually go on to attend Winter Haven Senior High School

Is Denison Middle School a good school?

Denison Middle School ranks in the bottom 12.5% of Florida middle schools.

How many students attend Denison Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 684 students attended Denison Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Denison Middle School?

Students at Denison Middle School are 39% Hispanic, 39% African American, 19% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Denison Middle School in?

Polk

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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.