Kathleen Elementary School

Summary:

Kathleen Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lakeland, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 489. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past several years, Kathleen Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Florida elementary schools, also receiving a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kathleen Elementary stands out for several key metrics. It has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, with 49.0% of students chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the Polk district rate of 12.7% and the state average of 14.4%. The school's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is consistently lower than the Polk district and Florida state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate was 38%, compared to the Polk district rate of 48% and the state average of 53%. Additionally, Kathleen Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 62.78%, compared to the Polk district average of 45.21%.

When comparing Kathleen Elementary to nearby schools in the Polk district, it becomes clear that the school is an outlier in terms of academic performance and other key metrics. For instance, Lincoln Avenue Academy, located just 5.53 miles away, is a high-performing school, ranking in the top 3% of Florida elementary schools and significantly outperforming Kathleen Elementary on test scores and other measures. The high chronic absenteeism rate at Kathleen Elementary appears to be a significant factor contributing to the school's low academic performance, and the high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income population, raising questions about the effective allocation of resources and the need for targeted interventions.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 3515 Sheretz Rd
       Lakeland, FL  33810


(863) 853-6030

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1763rd of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,034 Help


Students who attend Kathleen Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Kathleen Middle School
High:    Kathleen Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.8 Help
Number of students:  489

Racial breakdown:

White:
44.6%
Hispanic:
33.9%
African American:
19.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  62.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Kathleen Elementary School ranks worse than 78.1% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 64th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.1. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Kathleen Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (44.6%), Hispanic (33.9%), African American (19.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 62.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kathleen Elementary School is 14.8, which is the 20th best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)
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Compare Kathleen Elementary School employs 33 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kathleen Elementary School is $12,034, which is the 10th highest among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Kathleen Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Polk:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk 57th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Kathleen Elementary School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 53.62 804th 1688 52.4%
2007 48.33 982nd 1786 45.0%
2008 30.32 1338th 1789 25.2%
2009 39.59 1208th 1847 34.6%
2010 27.14 1494th 1919 22.1%
2011 25.90 1565th 1985 21.2%
2012 27.35 1510th 1984 23.9%
2013 21.65 1689th 2029 16.8%
2014 16.53 1827th 2064 11.5%
2016 18.18 1782nd 2087 14.6%
2017 21.80 1735th 2112 17.9%
2018 23.03 1707th 2118 19.4%
2019 26.63 1671st 2182 23.4%
2021 23.18 1741st 2247 22.5%
2022 15.47 1988th 2219 10.4%
2023 19.67 1906th 2240 14.9%
2024 25.10 1763rd 2256 21.9%
See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Kathleen Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Kathleen Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 672 19 1 6 0 n/a n/a 0 698
1989 760 15 1 7 0 n/a n/a 0 783
1990 809 14 3 13 0 n/a n/a 0 839
1991 862 14 2 16 0 n/a n/a 0 894
1992 794 10 0 20 0 n/a n/a 0 824
1993 560 55 0 22 0 n/a n/a 0 637
1994 548 61 0 29 0 n/a n/a 0 638
1995 588 77 1 38 1 n/a n/a 0 705
1996 588 77 1 38 1 n/a n/a 0 705
1997 555 73 3 45 2 n/a n/a 0 678
1998 532 75 3 45 2 n/a n/a 0 657
1999 548 89 2 40 2 n/a n/a 0 681
2000 578 91 4 59 4 n/a n/a 0 736
2001 567 90 4 54 4 n/a n/a 0 719
2002 395 85 2 80 0 n/a n/a 0 562
2003 395 85 2 80 0 n/a n/a 0 562
2004 385 92 1 70 0 n/a n/a 0 548
2005 384 108 1 88 0 n/a n/a 0 581
2006 388 97 0 104 0 n/a n/a 0 589
2007 362 97 4 108 0 n/a n/a 12 583
2008 334 104 3 102 0 n/a n/a 13 556
2009 312 88 4 102 1 n/a n/a 19 526
2010 324 101 5 91 0 n/a n/a 21 542
2011 320 76 1 99 3 0 29 0 528
2012 313 104 1 89 1 0 26 0 534
2013 291 108 0 104 0 0 21 0 524
2014 274 94 6 105 0 0 20 0 499
2015 312 105 0 114 0 0 24 0 555
2016 285 122 8 124 1 0 19 0 559
2017 290 125 3 134 0 0 22 0 574
2018 273 102 1 146 1 0 23 0 546
2019 267 95 0 155 1 0 18 0 536
2020 276 106 1 169 2 0 19 0 573
2021 222 71 1 136 0 1 15 0 446
2022 257 83 0 137 0 1 8 0 486
2023 218 94 0 166 0 0 11 0 489

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kathleen Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 698 35.0 19.9 30.1
1989 783 40.0 19.5 30.5
1990 839 45.0 18.6 9.5
1991 894 44.0 20.3 30.1
1992 824 42.0 19.6 26
1993 637 34.0 18.7 33.4
1994 638 32.0 19.9 34.2
1995 705 34.0 20.7 38.2
1996 705 34.0 20.7 38.2
1997 678 34.0 19.9 39.5
1998 657 31.0 21.2 42.6
1999 681 34.0 20.0 61.2
2000 736 31.0 23.7 57.2
2001 719 37.0 19.4 58.3
2002 562 34.0 16.5 64.8
2003 562 34.0 16.5 64.8
2004 548 35.0 15.7 68.6
2005 581 41.0 14.2 67.6
2006 589 42.0 14.0 71.3
2007 583 43.0 13.6 73.6
2008 556 42.0 13.2 75.1
2009 526 47.6 13.0 77.9
2010 542 39.5 13.7 83.1
2011 528 38.0 13.8 80.1
2012 534 36.0 14.8 81.3
2013 524 36.0 14.5 81.5
2014 499 31.0 16.0 80.6
2015 555 32.0 17.3 66.3
2016 559 33.0 16.9 70.5
2017 574 33.0 17.3 66.7
2018 546 36.0 15.1 65.8
2019 536 36.0 14.8 66.8
2020 573 35.0 16.3 59.5
2021 446 33.0 13.5 71.5
2022 486 34.0 14.2 74.3
2023 489 33.0 14.8 62.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Kathleen Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 698 35.0 19.9 30.1
1989 783 40.0 19.5 30.5
1990 839 45.0 18.6 9.5
1991 894 44.0 20.3 30.1
1992 824 42.0 19.6 26
1993 637 34.0 18.7 33.4
1994 638 32.0 19.9 34.2
1995 705 34.0 20.7 38.2
1996 705 34.0 20.7 38.2
1997 678 34.0 19.9 39.5
1998 657 31.0 21.2 42.6
1999 681 34.0 20.0 61.2
2000 736 31.0 23.7 57.2
2001 719 37.0 19.4 58.3
2002 562 34.0 16.5 64.8
2003 562 34.0 16.5 64.8
2004 548 35.0 15.7 68.6
2005 581 41.0 14.2 67.6
2006 589 42.0 14.0 71.3
2007 583 43.0 13.6 73.6
2008 556 42.0 13.2 75.1
2009 526 47.6 13.0 77.9
2010 542 39.5 13.7 83.1
2011 528 38.0 13.8 80.1
2012 534 36.0 14.8 81.3
2013 524 36.0 14.5 81.5
2014 499 31.0 16.0 80.6
2015 555 32.0 17.3 66.3
2016 559 33.0 16.9 70.5
2017 574 33.0 17.3 66.7
2018 546 36.0 15.1 65.8
2019 536 36.0 14.8 66.8
2020 573 35.0 16.3 59.5
2021 446 33.0 13.5 71.5
2022 486 34.0 14.2 74.3
2023 489 33.0 14.8 62.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kathleen Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $1,314 (15.7%) $7,076 (84.3%) $8,390
2019 $1,525 (16.4%) $7,771 (83.6%) $9,296
2020 $888 (10.8%) $7,311 (89.2%) $8,198
2021 $1,370 (13.6%) $8,705 (86.4%) $10,075
2022 $2,578 (23.6%) $8,339 (76.4%) $10,916
2023 $2,477 (20.6%) $9,558 (79.4%) $12,034

Data source: Florida Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kathleen Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1671st of 2182 Elementary schoolsRanks 1906th of 2240 Elementary schools
 8.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Elementary School)3941
 2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)5248
 4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5853
 5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kathleen Elementary School)4936
 13%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)5651
 5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)6258
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Elementary School)3132
 1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)4846
 2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5857
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kathleen Elementary School)4028
 12%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)5650
 6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6461
 3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Elementary School)5135
 16%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)4744
 3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)5655
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kathleen Elementary School)5223
 29%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)5140
 11%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)6052
 8%
5th Grade Science (Kathleen Elementary School)5135
 16%
   5th Grade Science (Polk)4539
 6%
   5th Grade Science (Florida)5351
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students536489
 8.8%
African American9594
 1.1%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian00
Hispanic155166
 7.1%
Pacific Islander00
White267218
 18.4%
Two or More Races1811
 38.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients66.8%62.8%
 4%


Schools Near Kathleen Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Kathleen Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 489 students attended Kathleen Elementary School.

Kathleen Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.9% of Florida elementary schools.

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

Middle : Kathleen Middle School
High : Kathleen Senior High School

Students at Kathleen Elementary School are 45% White, 34% Hispanic, 19% African American, 2% Two or more races.


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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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