Summary:
In zip code 33844, Haines City, Florida, there are two middle schools serving grades 6-8 within the Polk school district, a district ranked in the bottom 13% of Florida.
Daniel Jenkins Academy Of Technology Middle School is the standout school in this area, consistently outperforming its local counterpart and often exceeding state averages. It holds a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, ranking in the 56th percentile statewide, while Shelley S. Boone Middle School has a 0-1 star rating and ranks in the bottom 10%. Daniel Jenkins Academy achieves proficiency rates 20-40 percentage points higher than Boone in core subjects like English Language Arts and Math. For example, in 8th Grade Science, Daniel Jenkins scored 59% proficient versus Boone's 28%. The academy also excels in advanced coursework, achieving a perfect 100% proficiency in Civics and 94% in Geometry, far above state averages. This success occurs despite serving a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (72.53% on free/reduced lunch) compared to Boone (64.71%).
Key differences help explain the performance gap. Daniel Jenkins Academy has a lower student-teacher ratio (20.2:1 vs. 26.5:1) and higher per-student spending ($10,514 vs. $8,790). Both schools share a challenge with chronic absenteeism, with rates around 28%, though this is below the district average of 39.1%. The stark contrast between these two schools in the same zip code highlights a significant equity issue within the Polk County system, where a student's academic outcome is heavily dependent on which school they attend. For parents, Daniel Jenkins Academy clearly offers a stronger academic environment, particularly for students interested in technology and advanced coursework.
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