Summary:
Zip code 33868 is home to a single school, Polk City Elementary School, a public school serving grades PK through 5 with 545 students in the Polk district.
Polk City Elementary School presents a story of contrasts. The school excels in early elementary grades, with 3rd graders outperforming the state average in both Math (67% vs. 66%) and ELA (66% vs. 60%). However, proficiency drops sharply by 5th grade, where Math (40%) and Science (42%) fall significantly below state averages (62% and 60%, respectively). This "3rd grade peak" suggests challenges in maintaining academic growth through upper grades. On a positive note, the school has shown strong year-over-year improvement, with 5th grade Science jumping from 28% to 42% proficiency and 3rd grade ELA rising from 49% to 66%. The school's state ranking has also rebounded to the 30th percentile after a dip, indicating potential recovery. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 73.58% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and spends $10,266 per student.
A key concern is the high chronic absenteeism rate of 36.0%, which exceeds the state average of 31.4% and likely contributes to the learning loss seen in upper grades. While the recent upward trend in test scores is encouraging, addressing absenteeism will be critical for sustained success. The school's student-teacher ratio is 18.1:1, and it is part of a district ranked 61st out of 70 in Florida. For parents, Polk City Elementary School offers strong early elementary instruction but requires focused support to help students maintain that performance through 5th grade.
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