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Janie Howard Wilson School

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-5

2031^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Janie Howard Wilson School is a public elementary school in Lake Wales, FL, serving 462 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Polk district, where 78% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school faces significant challenges, particularly with academic performance and attendance. In 5th grade, only 15% of students are proficient in science, 29% in English Language Arts, and 29% in math—rates that are dramatically lower than nearby schools like Dundee Elementary Academy (65% science, 69% math) and Hillcrest Elementary (56% ELA, 64% math). The most pressing issue is chronic absenteeism: 42.6% of students miss significant school time, more than double the rate at Dale R Fair Babson Park Elementary (19.6%) and Dundee Elementary Academy (19.8%). This absenteeism directly impacts learning, as students who aren't in class cannot keep up with instruction.

There is a glimmer of hope in early grades: 3rd graders show 54% proficiency in math and 45% in ELA, much closer to district averages, suggesting effective early interventions. However, this progress fades by 5th grade, likely due to the compounding effects of chronic absenteeism. Notably, Hillcrest Elementary, also in Lake Wales with a similar poverty rate (69%), achieves far better results with lower absenteeism (26.6%), showing that improvement is possible when attendance improves. The school's per-student spending ($9,408) is in the middle range compared to neighbors, indicating that funding alone isn't the solution—addressing attendance and engagement is critical for turning around student outcomes.

462

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,408

Per pupil spending ?

78.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

306 Florida Ave
Lake Wales, FL 33853

(863) 678-4211

District: Polk

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

40.3%

African American:

38.3%

White:

18.2%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 20th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (39% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (43% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg53%

Florida avg62%

2,031^st of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 20% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

70^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	15.3	2031 of 2240	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.8	1825 of 2258	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.9	2008 of 2256	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	1823 of 2240	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.3	1993 of 2219	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.4	1509 of 2247	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.6	1672 of 2182	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.1	1542 of 2118	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.4	1829 of 2112	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.9	1664 of 2087	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.7	1782 of 2064	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.9	1778 of 2029	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.7	1400 of 1984	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.0	1303 of 1985	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	30.3	1431 of 1919	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	47.5	1042 of 1847	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	40.3	1133 of 1789	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	31.3	1287 of 1786	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.2	1388 of 1688	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math46%-19 vs state

English Language Arts40%-21 vs state

Science15%-45 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, October 12, 2020

Janie Howard Wilson Elementary prepares students for the next grade level. I know my kids are going to a school where they are more than a number. I would recommend this school to anyone! Close Quote

Schools Near Janie Howard Wilson 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)	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 Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Janie Howard Wilson School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	306 Florida Ave	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 678-4211	462	29	15.9	78.1%	84 (18.2%)	177 (38.3%)	186 (40.3%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.9%)	15.3	2031^st of 2240 public elementary schools	9.3%		22.8	1825^th of 2258 public elementary schools	19.2%	206	45.0	44.0	29.0	54.0	53.0	29.0	15.0	$9,408	$898	$8,510
Spook Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	321 Dr Ja Wiltshire Ave E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4262	574	34	16.8	83.4%	203 (35.4%)	145 (25.3%)	206 (35.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.8%)	8.3	2165^th of 2240 public elementary schools	3.3%		14.2	2054^th of 2258 public elementary schools	9.0%	111	38.0	35.0	41.0	40.0	28.0	40.0	26.0	$11,877	$1,770	$10,106
Polk Avenue Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	110 Polk Ave E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4244	523	30	17.4	99.0%	139 (26.6%)	112 (21.4%)	254 (48.6%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.9%)	21.4	1890^th of 2240 public elementary schools	15.6%		28.8	1682^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	25.5%	208	42.0	46.0	49.0	37.0	57.0	47.0	42.0	$8,857	$946	$7,911
Hillcrest Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1051 State Road 60 E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4216	667	41	16.2	69.1%	297 (44.5%)	133 (19.9%)	191 (28.6%)	6 (0.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.5%)	52.8	1078^th of 2240 public elementary schools	51.9%		58.3	921^st of 2258 public elementary schools	59.2%	157	61.0	53.0	56.0	73.0	86.0	64.0	43.0	$8,238	$494	$7,744
South Pointe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9525 State Hwy 653	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(863) 317-8317	689	32	21.5	68.8%	182 (26.4%)	172 (25.0%)	300 (43.5%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (4.2%)	39.3	1418^th of 2240 public elementary schools	36.7%		35.9	1474^th of 2258 public elementary schools	34.7%	56	45.0	64.0	55.0	62.0	69.0	47.0	44.0	$9,426	$1,159	$8,267
Chain Of Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7001 State Highway 653	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 326-5388	1,007	56	17.9	55.6%	309 (30.7%)	221 (21.9%)	379 (37.6%)	56 (5.6%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	35 (3.5%)	47.9	1197^th of 2240 public elementary schools	46.6%		50.7	1099^th of 2258 public elementary schools	51.3%	98	61.0	62.0	60.0	60.0	68.0	55.0	50.0	$10,953	$1,557	$9,395
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
Dale R Fair Babson Park Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	815 Scenic Hwy N	Babson Park	33827	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4664	453	29	15.6	46.1%	319 (70.4%)	31 (6.8%)	93 (20.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.5%)	55.8	991^st of 2240 public elementary schools	55.8%		59.9	885^th of 2258 public elementary schools	60.8%	106	67.0	68.0	48.0	75.0	62.0	61.0	61.0	$8,677	$468	$8,209
Dundee Elementary Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	215 Frederick Ave	Dundee	33838	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 421-3316	657	41	16.0	63.8%	197 (30.0%)	111 (16.9%)	324 (49.3%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.4%)	63.6	795^th of 2240 public elementary schools	64.5%		61.2	853^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	62.2%	58	80.0	51.0	64.0	81.0	60.0	69.0	65.0	$10,904	$1,372	$9,533
Alturas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	420 4th St	Alturas	33820	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 519-3917	274	19	14.4	75.9%	179 (65.3%)	17 (6.2%)	67 (24.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (2.9%)	50	1142^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	49.0%		56.6	957^th of 2258 public elementary schools	57.6%	185	62.0	57.0	54.0	47.0	71.0	67.0	64.0	$13,971	$1,795	$12,176

Frequently Asked Questions about Janie Howard Wilson School

What district is Janie Howard Wilson School in?

Polk

How many students attend Janie Howard Wilson School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 462 students attended Janie Howard Wilson School.

Is Janie Howard Wilson School a good school?

Janie Howard Wilson School ranks in the bottom 9.3% of Florida elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Janie Howard Wilson School?

Students at Janie Howard Wilson School are 40% Hispanic, 38% African American, 18% White, 2% Two or more races.

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

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.