Summary:
The five public schools serving zip code 33860 in Mulberry, Florida, all part of the Polk district, serve grades PK-12 and are characterized by high economic disadvantage, with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 74.9%.
Mulberry Middle School stands out as the area's top performer, achieving exceptional proficiency in advanced courses like Civics (94%) and Geometry (83%), far exceeding state averages, though its standard grade-level test scores remain modest. In contrast, Purcell Elementary School is the most challenged, ranking in the bottom 5% of Florida elementary schools with proficiency rates 20-30 points below state averages and a 39.6% chronic absenteeism rate. Willow Oak School is the only school showing clear improvement, rising from the 24th to the 32nd percentile and earning a 2-star rating, with the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area (25.6%). RCMA Mulberry Community Academy presents a spending anomaly: it has the highest per-student cost ($14,643) but the lowest enrollment, and while its 3rd-grade math proficiency (62%) is near the state average, its ELA proficiency (23%) is critically low. Mulberry Senior High School has a strong 93.7% graduation rate and performs well in US History (71% proficient), yet nearly half its students (49.7%) are chronically absent, and proficiency in foundational math (Algebra 1 at 20%) is very low.
Key takeaways include a "middle school paradox" where advanced courses thrive while core subjects lag, and a high school disconnect between high graduation rates and low academic mastery. Spending does not correlate with performance, as the lowest-spending school outperforms the highest-spending one in key metrics. The area's average chronic absenteeism (36%) exceeds the state average, highlighting a significant challenge, though Willow Oak School offers a hopeful example of positive momentum.
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