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Scott Lake Elementary School

Q: Is Scott Lake Elementary School a good school?

Scott Lake Elementary School ranks 966 th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

966^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Scott Lake Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Lakeland, FL, serving 735 students from Pre-K through 5th grade, and it stands out as a reliable, middle-of-the-pack performer within the Polk school district. Despite the district ranking near the bottom of Florida, Scott Lake consistently earns a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger and has exceeded the district average in every subject and grade level tested in the most recent school year. For example, 4th graders scored 71% proficient in math and 72% in English Language Arts, compared to the district's 56% and 53%, respectively. This strong performance in upper grades is a key differentiator from nearby schools like Highland City Elementary and Medulla Elementary, where scores often drop in 4th and 5th grade.

One of the most impressive aspects of Scott Lake is its efficiency. It spends just $11,561 per student—the lowest among comparable nearby schools—yet achieves results competitive with or better than schools spending significantly more, such as Cleveland Court Elementary ($13,187) and Southwest Elementary ($14,321). However, the school faces a persistent challenge with chronic absenteeism, which sits at 31.8%—better than the district average of 39.1%, but still higher than top-performing neighbors like Valleyview Elementary (25.6%) and Highlands Grove Elementary (28.9%).

Interestingly, Scott Lake shows contrasting trends in its test scores. While English Language Arts scores have generally improved, especially in 4th and 5th grades, math proficiency has declined over the last three years—for instance, 3rd grade math dropped from 76% to 57%. This suggests the school's literacy strategies are working, but math instruction may need a refresh. Nearby Cleveland Court Elementary offers a compelling comparison: despite similar demographics and a slightly higher absenteeism rate, it achieves proficiency rates 10-20 points higher in nearly every subject, ranking in the 86th percentile. Scott Lake could potentially learn from Cleveland Court's instructional programs to boost its own performance.

735

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,561

Per pupil spending ?

55%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1140 County Road 540a E
Lakeland, FL 33813

(863) 648-3520

District: Polk

Students who attend Scott Lake Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lakeland Highlands Middle School
High:	George W. Jenkins Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.9%

Hispanic:

27.2%

African American:

15.2%

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Compare Scott Lake Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Polk

✓Above the Florida median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg53%

Florida avg62%

966^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 17 pts since 2016

From top 26% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^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	56.7	966 of 2240	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.7	930 of 2258	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.5	676 of 2256	70.0%	★★★★☆
2023	62.6	782 of 2240	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	779 of 2219	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.7	693 of 2247	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.2	809 of 2182	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.3	812 of 2118	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.3	696 of 2112	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	73.2	538 of 2087	74.2%	★★★★☆
2014	72.1	526 of 2064	74.5%	★★★★☆
2013	69.3	592 of 2029	70.8%	★★★★☆
2012	71.6	546 of 1984	72.5%	★★★★☆
2011	68.9	626 of 1985	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.5	748 of 1919	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.2	767 of 1847	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.2	662 of 1789	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.8	621 of 1786	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.5	570 of 1688	66.2%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts65%+5 vs state

Math65%~ state avg

Science55%-5 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, July 25, 2014

I love this school! My daughter has been going to Scott Lake since 2nd grade and she is now in 4th grade. They have an ALPHA program for the more advanced kids so they can think outside the box and be knowledgable about things they wouldnt be learning in a normal classroom setting. For 3rd grade she was placed in an advanced classroom which I like alot so shes not bored or being slowed down. The assistant principle is a very friendly guy who gets back with you asap if there is any problems (which we had two on the bus) and he fixed it right away and made sure the bus was being watched for months afterwards. The only thing I wish the Principle didnt change was at the end of the year the children on the last day would get a paper stating who there next teacher is going to be and we didnt get that this year. It makes the kids excited for next year instead of dwelling and waiting to see who the teacher is going to be and who they know is going to be in there class with them. Close Quote

Schools Near Scott Lake 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)	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
Scott Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1140 County Road 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3520	735	47	15.6	55.0%	374 (50.9%)	112 (15.2%)	200 (27.2%)	20 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.7%)	56.7	966^th of 2240 public elementary schools	56.9%		57.7	930^th of 2258 public elementary schools	58.8%	36	58.0	72.0	65.0	57.0	71.0	66.0	55.0	$11,561	$1,488	$10,074
Medulla Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	850 Schoolhouse Rd	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3515	488	29	16.8	73.0%	138 (28.3%)	119 (24.4%)	204 (41.8%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	27.8	1719^th of 2240 public elementary schools	23.3%		21.6	1857^th of 2258 public elementary schools	17.8%	138	43.0	48.0	54.0	49.0	57.0	51.0	48.0	$12,878	$2,001	$10,876
Valleyview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 State Rd 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3535	783	52	15.0	41.4%	412 (52.6%)	117 (14.9%)	184 (23.5%)	43 (5.5%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.8%)	74.7	511^th of 2240 public elementary schools	77.2%		79.4	416^th of 2258 public elementary schools	81.6%	95	73.0	71.0	69.0	73.0	70.0	82.0	69.0	$11,059	$1,070	$9,989
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
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
James W. Sikes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2727 Shepherd Rd	Lakeland	33811	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3525	502	35	14.3	61.6%	230 (45.8%)	69 (13.7%)	176 (35.1%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	33.8	1566^th of 2240 public elementary schools	30.1%		50.7	1098^th of 2258 public elementary schools	51.4%	468	57.0	66.0	58.0	51.0	55.0	42.0	44.0	$12,290	$1,571	$10,720
Highland City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5355 9th Street SE	Highland City	33846	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3540	414	28	14.7	63.5%	197 (47.6%)	41 (9.9%)	139 (33.6%)	6 (1.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.0%)	47.9	1195^th of 2240 public elementary schools	46.7%		47.7	1166^th of 2258 public elementary schools	48.4%	29	54.0	44.0	62.0	69.0	48.0	72.0	66.0	$13,608	$1,784	$11,823
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
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5500 Yates Rd	Lakeland	33811	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1450	899	58	15.5	65.0%	312 (34.7%)	103 (11.5%)	430 (47.8%)	18 (2.0%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.4%)	42.8	1326^th of 2240 public elementary schools	40.8%		53.1	1040^th of 2258 public elementary schools	53.9%	286	55.0	61.0	61.0	54.0	64.0	60.0	44.0	$11,450	$1,689	$9,760
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Scott Lake Elementary School

Is Scott Lake Elementary School a good school?

Scott Lake Elementary School ranks 966^th of 2240 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Scott Lake Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Scott Lake Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lakeland Highlands Middle School
High : George W. Jenkins Senior High

What district is Scott Lake Elementary School in?

Polk

How many students attend Scott Lake Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 735 students attended Scott Lake Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Scott Lake Elementary School?

Students at Scott Lake Elementary School are 51% White, 27% Hispanic, 15% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.