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Garden Grove Elementary School

Q: Is Garden Grove Elementary School a good school?

Garden Grove Elementary School ranks 1566 th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1566^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,258 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

Garden Grove Elementary School is a public elementary school in Winter Haven, Florida, serving 691 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 61 out of 67 districts in the state.

Garden Grove Elementary faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 30.9% to 39.1% over the past few years, well above the Polk district and state averages. The school's test scores are also generally below district and state averages across various subjects and grade levels, such as 5th-grade science proficiency at 57% compared to 45% for Polk and 55% for the state. Additionally, Garden Grove has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 45.5% to 68.45%, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

Interestingly, when comparing Garden Grove Elementary to nearby schools in the same district, several patterns emerge. South Pointe Elementary and Pinewood Elementary have similar performance and demographic profiles, while Cypress Junction Montessori, Jewett School of the Arts, and Frank E. Brigham Academy are higher-performing magnet schools. Dundee Elementary Academy and Chain of Lakes Elementary are also higher-performing schools within the same district.

652

Students ?

21.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,412

Per pupil spending ?

74.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4599 Cypress Gardens Rd
Winter Haven, FL 33884

(863) 291-5396

District: Polk

Students who attend Garden Grove Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

33.6%

Hispanic:

31.9%

African American:

29.0%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Garden Grove Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 37th percentile in 2014 → 31st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (46% vs 58% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2014

!Math scores 17 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg49%

Florida avg58%

1,566^th of 2,258

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 49% (2016) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

36^th of 86Elementary Schools in the Polk

61^st of 67Polk 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
2025	32.7	1566 of 2258	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.7	1300 of 2256	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.5	1648 of 2240	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.8	1597 of 2219	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.0	1420 of 2247	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.9	1242 of 2182	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.3	1077 of 2118	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.4	1295 of 2112	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.3	1033 of 2087	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	38.5	1297 of 2064	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.9	1034 of 2029	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	52.1	951 of 1984	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.3	973 of 1985	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.7	1063 of 1919	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	57.3	834 of 1847	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	50.6	933 of 1789	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	68.8	565 of 1786	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.5	526 of 1688	68.8%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

Science57%~ state avg

English Language Arts44%-12 vs state

Math44%-17 vs state

1.3

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, July 7, 2017

In fact the school has lack of information for the students and a lot of teachers didnt care about the improvement of them Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, August 15, 2011

Extremely "clicky" PTO and faculty relationship (including the administration). When you bring a concern to the administration you are given lip service and nothing changes. Administration and staff are daily seen screaming at the children--this includes kindergardners (not just talking with raised voices, but where you can hear them word for word 20-30 ft away and see their arms flailing in the air). Kids who are waiting for school 10-15 minutes BEFORE the bell rings are required to sit in silence because as I have witnessed one teacher and one administrator say "shut your mouths, you are all giving me a headache". Children are bullied by other students without the staff stepping in. The only time the staff steps in is when a parent brings it to their attention. There are nothing but inconsistencies in how school procedures and rules are applied.

I have complained to the school board, but nothing has changed. DO NOT MOVE INTO ZONING FOR THIS SCHOOL!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Garden Grove Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)						FAST Math (2025)					Statewide Science Science (2025)		EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	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
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%)	32.7	1566^th of 2258 public elementary schools	30.6%		41.7	1300^th of 2256 public elementary schools	42.4%	266	36.0	39.0	62.0				28.0	35.0	75.0			57.0				$10,412	$1,399	$9,013
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%)	50.7	1099^th of 2258 public elementary schools	51.3%		71.6	603^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	73.3%	496	55.0	69.0	55.0				58.0	61.0	48.0			49.0				$10,953	$1,557	$9,395
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%)	16.5	2000^th of 2258 public elementary schools	11.4%		27.7	1697^th of 2256 public elementary schools	24.8%	303	36.0	32.0	44.0				32.0	53.0	30.0			38.0				$10,817	$1,384	$9,432
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%)	61.2	853^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	62.2%		76.1	500^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.8%	353	58.0	58.0	58.0				64.0	63.0	70.0			61.0				$10,904	$1,372	$9,533
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%)	88.9	200^th of 2258 public elementary schools	91.1%		90.7	153^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	93.2%	47	81.0	69.0	81.0				81.0	84.0	78.0			78.0				$11,639	$1,220	$10,419
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%)	32.3	1579^th of 2258 public elementary schools	30.1%		31.7	1571^st of 2256 public elementary schools	30.4%	8	62.0	42.0	45.0				63.0	48.0	27.0			32.0				$12,458	$1,967	$10,490
Wahneta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 4th St E	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5392	491	28	17.5	81.5%	46 (9.4%)	18 (3.7%)	422 (85.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	26.5	1741^st of 2258 public elementary schools	22.9%		27	1709^th of 2256 public elementary schools	24.2%	32	34.0	32.0	45.0				36.0	51.0	54.0			58.0				$11,455	$1,756	$9,698
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%)	35.9	1474^th of 2258 public elementary schools	34.7%					(n/a)	61.0	41.0	43.0				63.0	55.0	36.0			42.0				$9,426	$1,159	$8,267
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%)	41.2	1323^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	41.4%		35.4	1478^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.5%	155	70.0	56.0	55.0	55.0	55.0	47.0	57.0	44.0	42.0	55.0	55.0	39.0	37.0	67.0	67.0	$9,035	$517	$8,517
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%)	29.1	1671^st of 2258 public elementary schools	26.0%		38.4	1381^st of 2256 public elementary schools	38.8%	290	46.0	44.0	45.0				43.0	47.0	47.0			51.0				$10,165	$1,472	$8,692

Frequently Asked Questions about Garden Grove Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Garden Grove Elementary School?

Students at Garden Grove Elementary School are 34% White, 32% Hispanic, 29% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Garden Grove Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Garden Grove Elementary School usually go on to attend:

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

Is Garden Grove Elementary School a good school?

Garden Grove Elementary School ranks 1566^th of 2258 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Garden Grove Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 652 students attended Garden Grove Elementary School.

What district is Garden Grove Elementary School in?

Polk

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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.