Polk School District
School District · Bartow, Florida
Avg Rating
5.6
out of 10
Schools
159
85 elem, 26 mid, 36 high
Enrollment
111,041
Student-Teacher Ratio
18.8:1
Avg Rating
5.6
out of 10
Schools
159
85 elem, 26 mid, 36 high
Enrollment
111,041
Student-Teacher Ratio
18.8:1
How this district compares
Florida rank
#59 of 71
districts by avg. composite
Vs. state average
-0.7
below Florida avg
Per-pupil spending
$11,242
$519 vs Florida median
District size
111,041 students
Much larger than Florida median
The short answer
Polk ranks #59 of 71 Florida districts by overall school rating. Polk's schools with real test data average 5.6/10 across 152 schools. Its top-rated schools are Magnolia Montessori Academy (8.9/10), Jewett School of the Arts (8.8/10), and Combee Academy of Design and Engineering (8.8/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Rates 8.8/10 despite 74% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.3 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Polk schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Polk
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (152 of 159). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magnolia Montessori Academy | 8.9 / 10 |
| 2 | Jewett School of the Arts | 8.8 / 10 |
| 3 | Combee Academy of Design and Engineering | 8.8 / 10 |
| 4 | James E. Stephens Academy | 8.6 / 10 |
| 5 | Cleveland Court Elementary School | 8.5 / 10 |
| 6 | Mckeel Academy Central | 8.2 / 10 |
| 7 | John Snively Elementary | 8.1 / 10 |
| 8 | Rosabelle W. Blake Academy | 8.0 / 10 |
| 9 | Carlton Palmore Elementary School | 8.0 / 10 |
| 10 | South Mckeel Academy | 7.9 / 10 |
See all 159 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
About Polk
Polk County School District serves 111,041 students across 167 schools in central Florida, making it one of the larger public school systems in the state. Of those schools, 155 carry a ranking on MySchoolScout, giving parents a broad base of data to work with when comparing options. The district's average school score of 6.1 out of 10 reflects a wide range of performance — some schools cluster near the middle, while a clear set of high performers pulls ahead.
At the top of the district, Karen M. Siegel Academy earns an 8.5 out of 10, the highest score among all ranked Polk schools. Hillcrest Elementary School matches that mark at 8.5, making it the strongest-performing traditional elementary in the district. Combee Academy of Design and Engineering and Dundee Elementary Academy both score 8.4, with Combee offering a specialized design and engineering focus for elementary-age students. Cleveland Court Elementary rounds out the top five at 8.3. Four of the five leading schools are elementary programs, which signals meaningful options for families making early education decisions.
The district's 6.1 average score tells a useful story for parents doing comparisons. A school scoring 7.0 or above is already performing above the district mean, and anything in the 8s places well ahead of most peers locally. Parents searching within Polk should use that 6.1 benchmark as a baseline — it puts individual school scores in real context rather than treating every number in isolation.
With 167 total schools, Polk gives families genuine choice, including specialized academies alongside traditional neighborhood schools. The presence of specialized programs like Combee Academy of Design and Engineering at the elementary level is worth noting for parents interested in theme-based or project-focused learning early on. Families new to the district should prioritize verified school scores and enrollment data when narrowing options, since performance varies considerably across Polk's large and geographically spread school system.
District Map
Schools in Polk, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.
District Average Test Scores
Average proficiency across all schools in Polk with test data.
Schools in Polk
159 schoolsElementary Schools85
Middle Schools26
High Schools36
Other Schools12
District Details
- State
- Florida
- City
- Bartow
- Total Enrollment
- 111,041
- Teachers (FTE)
- 5,907
- District spending per student
- $11,242NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- Child poverty rate
- 17.0%Census SAIPE · 2024
- District directory year
- 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools are in Polk?
Polk has 159 schools in total — 85 elementary, 26 middle, and 36 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.
What is the average rating for Polk?
The average composite rating for Polk is 5.6/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.
What is the district spending per student in Polk?
Polk's district-level spending was $11,242 per student in fiscal year 2023, according to NCES F-33. This is district context, not an individual-school expense.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Polk?
The average student-teacher ratio in Polk is 18.8:1.
What is the top-rated school in Polk?
Magnolia Montessori Academy is the highest-rated school in Polk with a composite score of 8.9/10.
What are the test scores in Polk?
Across schools in Polk with test data, the average math proficiency is 47.6% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 47.7%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.
How does Polk compare to other districts in Florida?
Polk has an average school rating of 5.6/10 across 159 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in Florida by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools?
MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.
District Averages
- Overall Rating
- 5.6/10
- Math Proficiency
- 47.6%
- ELA Proficiency
- 47.7%
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateOther School Districts in FL
Compare Polk with neighboring districts in the state.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Florida Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.
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