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Elbert Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2061^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 8% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Elbert Elementary School is a public school in Winter Haven, FL, serving 549 students in grades PK-5 within the Polk district, where a high percentage of families (72.86%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The most critical challenge facing Elbert is its extremely high rate of chronic absenteeism. In the 2023-2024 school year, 50.1% of students were chronically absent—far above the state average of 31.4% and the highest rate among all nearby schools. For comparison, Frank E. Brigham Academy, located less than a mile away, had a chronic absenteeism rate of only 13.5%. This attendance crisis is strongly linked to the school's low academic performance, which has led to a 1-star rating and a state ranking in the 8th percentile. While some nearby schools with similar demographics also struggle, Elbert's test scores are consistently below district and state averages across most subjects and grade levels.

Despite these challenges, there is a bright spot: Elbert's 4th-grade math team has achieved notable success. In the 2025-2026 school year, 52% of 4th graders were proficient in math, close to the district average of 56%, and in prior years, this group actually exceeded the district average. This shows that effective instruction is possible at Elbert and offers a model that could be replicated in other grades and subjects. The school's per-student spending ($10,817) is in the middle of the pack compared to neighbors, suggesting that the primary issue is not a lack of funding but rather the need for aggressive, community-based interventions to improve attendance as the foundation for academic recovery.

549

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,817

Per pupil spending ?

72.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

205 15th St NE
Winter Haven, FL 33881

(863) 291-5364

District: Polk

Students who attend Elbert Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Denison Middle School
High:	Winter Haven Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

40.3%

Hispanic:

35.5%

White:

20.0%

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Compare Elbert Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 29th percentile in 2016 → 8th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (41% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 29% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school41%

District avg53%

Florida avg62%

2,061^st of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From bottom 29% (2016) to bottom 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

75^th of 86Elementary Schools in the Polk

61^st of 70Polk 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	14.0	2061 of 2240	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.5	2000 of 2258	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.7	1697 of 2256	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.1	1740 of 2240	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.7	2141 of 2219	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	1781 of 2247	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.6	1493 of 2182	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.3	1444 of 2118	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.8	1331 of 2112	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	31.2	1478 of 2087	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	34.1	1411 of 2064	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.1	1157 of 2029	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.6	1304 of 1984	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	32.0	1442 of 1985	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.3	1408 of 1919	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.2	1414 of 1847	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	33.2	1281 of 1789	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	37.3	1189 of 1786	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	44.0	988 of 1688	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math44%-21 vs state

English Language Arts41%-20 vs state

Science33%-27 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, January 29, 2018

Not happy with son teacher she comes off as lazy .my son isn't learning anything in her class very disappointed in the teacher.wish I would have left son at his old school. Close Quote

Schools Near Elbert Elementary School

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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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Civics (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	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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Elbert Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 15th St NE	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5364	549	29	18.9	72.9%	110 (20.0%)	221 (40.3%)	195 (35.5%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.1%)	14	2061^st of 2240 public elementary schools	8.0%		16.5	2000^th of 2258 public elementary schools	11.4%	61	40.0	44.0	37.0				44.0	52.0	33.0				33.0					$10,817	$1,384	$9,432
Frank E. Brigham Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	601 Avenue C SE	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 291-5300	547	31	17.6	51.9%	221 (40.4%)	143 (26.1%)	143 (26.1%)	18 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.0%)	86	234^th of 2240 public elementary schools	89.6%		88.9	200^th of 2258 public elementary schools	91.1%	34	85.0	78.0	79.0				92.0	88.0	78.0				63.0					$11,639	$1,220	$10,419
Cypress Junction Montessori	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	220 5th St SW	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 259-1490	317	17	18.3		162 (51.1%)	32 (10.1%)	107 (33.8%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.5%)	33.5	1572^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	29.8%		41.2	1323^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	41.4%	249	83.0	74.0	59.0	45.0	57.0	35.0	56.0	44.0	24.0	32.0	50.0	15.0	34.0	53.0	39.0	60.0	43.0	$9,035	$517	$8,517
Jewett School Of The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	2250 8th St NE	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 291-5373	746	45	16.5	63.0%	165 (22.1%)	331 (44.4%)	194 (26.0%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.5%)	55.8	992^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	55.7%		44.9	1224^th of 2258 public elementary schools	45.8%	232	78.0	60.0	53.0	70.0	67.0	63.0	88.0	77.0	47.0	69.0	42.0	47.0	47.0	51.0	84.0	80.0	95.0	$10,832	$1,227	$9,604
John Snively Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	848 Snively Ave	Eloise	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5325	396	24	16.5	82.3%	59 (14.9%)	106 (26.8%)	214 (54.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.8%)	44.8	1276^th of 2240 public elementary schools	43.0%		32.3	1579^th of 2258 public elementary schools	30.1%	303	65.0	64.0	49.0				64.0	66.0	45.0				50.0					$12,458	$1,967	$10,490
Inwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 Avenue G NW	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5369	423	21	20.1	82.3%	57 (13.5%)	219 (51.8%)	127 (30.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.5%)	12.2	2101^st of 2240 public elementary schools	6.2%		17.2	1984^th of 2258 public elementary schools	12.1%	117	29.0	29.0	49.0				46.0	33.0	38.0				47.0					$10,350	$1,554	$8,796
Lake Shipp Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	250 Camellia Dr	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5384	576	28	20.5	77.6%	137 (23.8%)	204 (35.4%)	189 (32.8%)	9 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.1%)	22.1	1871^st of 2240 public elementary schools	16.5%		18.5	1962^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	13.1%	91	60.0	37.0	41.0				69.0	28.0	33.0				42.0					$10,113	$1,362	$8,751
Garden Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4599 Cypress Gardens Rd	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5396	652	31	21.0	74.4%	219 (33.6%)	189 (29.0%)	208 (31.9%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.3%)	37.2	1471^st of 2240 public elementary schools	34.3%		32.7	1566^th of 2258 public elementary schools	30.6%	95	51.0	55.0	56.0				60.0	63.0	52.0				47.0					$10,412	$1,399	$9,013
Pinewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Gilbert St	Eagle Lake	33839	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 298-7977	740	43	17.2	73.0%	215 (29.1%)	191 (25.8%)	308 (41.6%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.6%)	32.2	1614^th of 2240 public elementary schools	27.9%		29.1	1671^st of 2258 public elementary schools	26.0%	57	53.0	56.0	53.0				48.0	41.0	56.0				55.0					$10,165	$1,472	$8,692
Fred G. Garner Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 Havendale Blvd NW	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5455	817	46	17.7	77.8%	133 (16.3%)	350 (42.8%)	300 (36.7%)	9 (1.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.7%)	32.9	1590^th of 2240 public elementary schools	29.0%		29	1675^th of 2258 public elementary schools	25.8%	85	53.0	57.0	43.0				54.0	66.0	50.0				43.0					$11,926	$1,946	$9,979

Frequently Asked Questions about Elbert Elementary School

What district is Elbert Elementary School in?

Polk

What schools do graduates of Elbert Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Denison Middle School
High : Winter Haven Senior High School

Is Elbert Elementary School a good school?

Elbert Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.0% of Florida elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Elbert Elementary School?

Students at Elbert Elementary School are 40% African American, 36% Hispanic, 20% White, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Elbert Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 549 students attended Elbert Elementary School.

Rate Elbert Elementary School!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataNewAug 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.