Summary:
There are seven elementary schools serving grades PK through 5 in the 33810 zip code of Lakeland, Florida, all part of the Polk school district, which ranks in the bottom 13% of Florida districts and serves a predominantly low-income area with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 74.1%.
The standout school in this area is Winston Academy Of Engineering, which consistently earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the 80th percentile or higher. It significantly outperforms both district and state averages in all subjects, has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 17.2% (compared to the area average of 39.9%), and serves a lower poverty rate of 51.12%. In contrast, Socrum Elementary School faces the greatest challenges, earning a 0-star rating with the highest poverty rate (81.26%), highest chronic absenteeism (46.4%), and lowest test scores in the area. Griffin Elementary School shows the most improvement, jumping from the 17th to the 30th percentile in one year. Other schools include Sleepy Hill Elementary School, Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School, R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School, and Kathleen Elementary School.
A key finding is that higher spending does not guarantee success—Socrum Elementary spends the most per student ($14,810) but has the lowest performance, while Winston Academy spends below average ($11,281) and excels. Chronic absenteeism is the most critical issue, with five of seven schools exceeding 46% absenteeism, strongly correlating with lower test scores. Notably, several schools show relative strength in 5th Grade Science, with Kathleen Elementary (64%), Winston Academy (71%), and Dr. NE Roberts (53%) outperforming the district average of 49%.
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