Polk School District
School District · Bartow, Florida
Avg Rating
5.7
out of 10
Schools
159
85 elem, 26 mid, 36 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,242
Student-Teacher Ratio
18.8:1
Avg Rating
5.7
out of 10
Schools
159
85 elem, 26 mid, 36 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,242
Student-Teacher Ratio
18.8:1
Evaluating Polk?
A district shares budget, policy, and attendance zones across its schools — use this page to judge Polk as a whole, then compare how its individual schools differ.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Winston Academy of Engineering
Lakeland · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
Cleveland Court Elementary School
Lakeland · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
Dundee Elementary Academy
Dundee · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
How this district compares
Florida rank
#54 of 71
districts by avg. composite
Vs. state average
-0.6
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 #54 of 71 Florida districts by overall school rating. Polk's schools with real test data average 5.7/10 across 150 schools. Its top-rated schools are Winston Academy of Engineering (9.3/10), Cleveland Court Elementary School (9.1/10), and Dundee Elementary Academy (9.0/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Rates 8.8/10 despite 73% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.4 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 (150 of 159). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winston Academy of Engineering | 9.3 / 10 |
| 2 | Cleveland Court Elementary School | 9.1 / 10 |
| 3 | Dundee Elementary Academy | 9.0 / 10 |
| 4 | Mckeel Academy Central | 8.9 / 10 |
| 5 | Davenport School of the Arts | 8.8 / 10 |
| 6 | Valleyview Elementary School | 8.8 / 10 |
| 7 | Berkley Elementary School | 8.8 / 10 |
| 8 | Jean O'dell Learning Center | 8.8 / 10 |
| 9 | Hillcrest Elementary School | 8.6 / 10 |
| 10 | South Mckeel Academy | 8.5 / 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 schools Elementary Schools 85
Middle Schools 26
High Schools 36
Other Schools 12
District Details
- State
- Florida
- City
- Bartow
- Total Enrollment
- 111,041
- Teachers (FTE)
- 5,907
- Child Poverty Rate
- 0.2%
- Data 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 5.7/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.
What is the per-pupil spending in Polk?
Polk spends $11,242 per student per year.
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?
Winston Academy of Engineering is the highest-rated school in Polk with a composite score of 9.3/10.
What are the test scores in Polk?
Across schools in Polk with test data, the average math proficiency is 47.9% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 46.9%. 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 5.7/10 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
- 5.7/10
- Math Proficiency
- 47.9%
- ELA Proficiency
- 46.9%
Resources
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.
- Miami-dade (536)
- Broward (325)
- Hillsborough (305)
- Orange (275)
- Palm Beach (235)
- Duval (208)
- Pinellas (153)
- Lee (120)
- Brevard (109)
- Pasco (106)
- Volusia (89)
- Osceola (86)
- Manatee (82)
- Seminole (76)
- Collier (74)
- Escambia (70)
- Alachua (68)
- Marion (64)
- Sarasota (63)
- Lake (61)
- Leon (56)
- St. Johns (55)
- Clay (54)
- St. Lucie (53)
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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