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Oscar J. Pope Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2121^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Oscar J. Pope Elementary School is a public school in Lakeland, FL, serving 365 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the Polk district, where over 80% of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The most critical challenge facing Oscar J. Pope is a severe chronic absenteeism crisis, with 50.4% of students missing significant school time in 2023-2024. This rate is dramatically higher than nearby South McKeel Academy (0.1% absenteeism) and Cleveland Court Elementary (32.2%), though similar to Crystal Lake Elementary (55.7%). This attendance problem appears to be the primary driver of the school's academic struggles, as the school's ranking dropped sharply from a 3-star rating in 2023-2024 to the 5th percentile statewide for 2025-2026. Notably, the school spends $12,313 per student—more than the high-performing South McKeel Academy ($9,708)—indicating that funding alone isn't the issue.

Despite these challenges, there is a bright spot: 58% of 5th graders were proficient in Math in 2025-2026, outperforming both the district (51%) and state (62%) averages. This suggests a specific teacher or program is making a real difference. The school's location less than a mile from South McKeel Academy, one of Florida's top elementary schools, highlights the stark educational inequality within this small Lakeland neighborhood. For parents, the key takeaway is that Oscar J. Pope's struggles are deeply tied to community-wide attendance issues, and while pockets of excellence exist, the school needs a holistic approach to address absenteeism before academic progress can be sustained.

365

Students ?

19.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,313

Per pupil spending ?

80.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2730 Maine Ave
Lakeland, FL 33801

(863) 499-2992

District: Polk

Students who attend Oscar J. Pope Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Crystal Lake Middle School
High:	George W. Jenkins Senior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

47.4%

White:

27.9%

African American:

20.3%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 21st percentile in 2016 → 5th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (37% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 29% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg53%

Florida avg62%

2,121^st of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 21% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

81^st 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	11.2	2121 of 2240	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.7	1977 of 2258	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	54.2	988 of 2256	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.5	1565 of 2240	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	14.8	2006 of 2219	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.9	1956 of 2247	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	7.0	2108 of 2182	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.5	1840 of 2118	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.0	1836 of 2112	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.2	1639 of 2087	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	13.9	1885 of 2064	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	23.9	1638 of 2029	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.1	1414 of 1984	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	23.7	1611 of 1985	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	12.7	1762 of 1919	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.7	1779 of 1847	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	15.8	1594 of 1789	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.4	1365 of 1786	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	14.8	1485 of 1688	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math44%-21 vs state

English Language Arts34%-27 vs state

Science26%-34 vs state

★

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Schools Near Oscar J. Pope 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 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 (2025)	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 Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Oscar J. Pope Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2730 Maine Ave	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2992	365	19	19.2	80.8%	102 (27.9%)	74 (20.3%)	173 (47.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.8%)	11.2	2121^st of 2240 public elementary schools	5.3%		17.7	1977^th of 2258 public elementary schools	12.4%	144	31.0	34.0	37.0				38.0	37.0	58.0				26.0				$12,313	$1,606	$10,707
South McKeel Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	2222 Edgewood Dr S	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 510-0044	1,200	69	17.3	56.3%	719 (59.9%)	103 (8.6%)	252 (21.0%)	66 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (4.9%)	89.4	145^th of 2240 public elementary schools	93.5%		89.3	188^th of 2258 public elementary schools	91.7%	43	88.0	82.0	74.0	84.0			89.0	92.0	82.0	85.0		100.0	82.0				$9,708	$467	$9,240
Mi Escuela Montessori	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	2130 E Edgewood Dr	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 934-2780	275	22	12.6	48.4%	89 (32.4%)	9 (3.3%)	160 (58.2%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	33	1587^th of 2240 public elementary schools	29.2%		28.1	1700^th of 2258 public elementary schools	24.7%	113	48.0	66.0	61.0	66.0	69.0	77.0	40.0	50.0	32.0	59.0	47.0		32.0	67.0	100.0	56.0	$10,345	$471	$9,874
Crystal Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	700 Galvin Dr	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2966	437	27	16.1	79.9%	97 (22.2%)	119 (27.2%)	186 (42.6%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.6%)	8.3	2166^th of 2240 public elementary schools	3.3%		9	2167^th of 2258 public elementary schools	4.0%	1	23.0	35.0	40.0				34.0	40.0	44.0				30.0				$14,049	$2,478	$11,571
Highlands Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4510 Lakeland Highlands Rd	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3002	691	46	15.0	50.1%	352 (50.9%)	101 (14.6%)	194 (28.1%)	20 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.3%)	65.7	734^th of 2240 public elementary schools	67.2%		70.2	636^th of 2258 public elementary schools	71.8%	98	81.0	58.0	68.0				76.0	50.0	73.0				70.0				$12,216	$1,547	$10,670
Philip O'Brien Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1225 Lime St E	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2950	625	31	20.1	80.3%	193 (30.9%)	165 (26.4%)	233 (37.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	29 (4.6%)	7.7	2176^th of 2240 public elementary schools	2.9%		9	2166^th of 2258 public elementary schools	4.1%	10	35.0	37.0	43.0				34.0	38.0	23.0				33.0				$11,604	$1,709	$9,895
Carlton Palmore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3725 Clevelnd Hts Blvd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3510	402	26	15.4	66.7%	173 (43.0%)	89 (22.1%)	112 (27.9%)	5 (1.2%)	4 (1.0%)	3 (0.7%)	16 (4.0%)	34.7	1536^th of 2240 public elementary schools	31.4%		34.2	1520^th of 2258 public elementary schools	32.7%	16	55.0	68.0	44.0				59.0	55.0	44.0				31.0				$12,914	$1,902	$11,011
Cleveland Court Elementary School	Public	K-5	328 Edgewood Dr E	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2929	374	27	13.8	54.0%	153 (40.9%)	90 (24.1%)	109 (29.1%)	12 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	82.6	320^th of 2240 public elementary schools	85.7%		76	495^th of 2258 public elementary schools	78.1%	175	71.0	86.0	75.0				74.0	78.0	83.0				75.0				$13,187	$1,655	$11,533
Southwest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2650 Southwest Ave	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2830	376	31	12.1	77.7%	123 (32.7%)	79 (21.0%)	146 (38.8%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.6%)	34.4	1547^th of 2240 public elementary schools	30.9%		43.7	1255^th of 2258 public elementary schools	44.4%	292	52.0	54.0	52.0				42.0	47.0	59.0				62.0				$14,321	$2,064	$12,257
Combee Academy Of Design And Engineering	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2805 Morgan Combee Rd	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 499-2960	479	36	13.3	76.2%	218 (45.5%)	72 (15.0%)	166 (34.7%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.8%)	66.7	712^th of 2240 public elementary schools	68.2%		53.7	1022^nd of 2258 public elementary schools	54.7%	310	69.0	68.0	62.0				76.0	71.0	69.0				60.0				$13,559	$1,927	$11,631

Frequently Asked Questions about Oscar J. Pope Elementary School

What district is Oscar J. Pope Elementary School in?

Polk

What is the racial makeup of Oscar J. Pope Elementary School?

Students at Oscar J. Pope Elementary School are 47% Hispanic, 28% White, 20% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Oscar J. Pope Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Oscar J. Pope Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Crystal Lake Middle School
High : George W. Jenkins Senior High

How many students attend Oscar J. Pope Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 365 students attended Oscar J. Pope Elementary School.

Is Oscar J. Pope Elementary School a good school?

Oscar J. Pope Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Florida elementary schools.

Rate Oscar J. Pope Elementary School!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataAug 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.