Summary:
Zip code 33820 is home to a single school, Alturas Elementary School, a public school serving grades PK through 5 with 274 students in the Polk district, an area where over 75% of students come from low-income households.
Alturas Elementary School presents a striking paradox: it consistently outperforms its district average in nearly every tested subject and grade level, and in several cases meets or exceeds the state average, despite being in a district ranked near the bottom of Florida. For example, 4th-grade math proficiency stands at 71% (compared to the district's 56% and state's 65%), and 5th-grade science reaches 64% (district 49%, state 60%). However, the school faces a severe chronic absenteeism crisis, with 47.1% of students missing 10% or more of the school year—far worse than the district average of 39.1% and the state average of 31.4%. This absenteeism is likely the primary driver of the school's declining state ranking, which has dropped from the 60th percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 49th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026.
Key metrics show a student-teacher ratio of 14.4:1 and spending of $13,971 per student, likely boosted by Title I funding due to the high-poverty population. The school shows a clear strength in mathematics, with 4th and 5th-grade math scores significantly above both district and state averages, while English Language Arts scores decline as students get older (from 62% in 3rd grade to 54% in 5th grade), suggesting a need for stronger literacy support in upper grades. The school's ability to maintain its academic edge will likely depend on successfully addressing the root causes of absenteeism within its community.
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