Westwood Heights Elementary School

Q: Is Westwood Heights Elementary School a good school?

Westwood Heights Elementary School ranks 1143 rd of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Westwood Heights Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving 522 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Broward District, which is ranked 30 out of 68 districts in Florida and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Westwood Heights Elementary School faces several key challenges. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 42.7% to 51.8% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the 10.3% to 54.8% range at nearby schools like Plantation Elementary School and Stephen Foster Elementary School. Additionally, the school's test scores are consistently lower than the Broward District and Florida state averages, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math 10-15 percentage points below the district and state.

Despite having the highest spending per student, $15,245, among the nearby schools, Westwood Heights Elementary School continues to struggle. The school serves a predominantly African American student population (85.06%), which is significantly higher than the more diverse student populations at the surrounding schools. This raises questions about potential disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes. While increased funding may not be the sole solution, examining the practices and strategies employed at the higher-performing nearby schools could provide valuable insights for improving Westwood Heights Elementary School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2861 SW 9th St
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

(754) 323-7900

District: Broward

SchoolDigger Rank:
1143^rd of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,245

Students who attend Westwood Heights Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Parkway Middle School
High:	South Plantation High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 522

Racial breakdown:

African American:

85.1%

Hispanic:

10.9%

White:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.8%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Westwood Heights Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Westwood Heights Elementary School ranks worse than 50.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 106^th among 189 ranked elementary schools in the Broward School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.95. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (85.1%), Hispanic (10.9%), White (2.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 86.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Westwood Heights Elementary School is 17.4. 104 elementary schools in the Broward School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Westwood Heights Elementary School employs 30 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Westwood Heights Elementary School is $15,245, which is the 26^th highest among 189 elementary schools in the Broward School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Westwood Heights Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Broward:

SchoolDigger ranks Broward 30^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Westwood Heights Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	15.27	1481^st	1688	12.3%
2007	15.90	1579^th	1786	11.6%
2008	13.66	1632^nd	1789	8.8%
2009	10.59	1727^th	1847	6.5%
2010	8.56	1828^th	1919	4.7%
2011	12.34	1825^th	1985	8.1%
2012	4.47	1953^rd	1984	1.6%
2013	3.85	2003^rd	2029	1.3%
2014	1.98	2047^th	2064	0.8%
2016	7.50	2010^th	2087	3.7%
2017	12.52	1954^th	2112	7.5%
2018	19.21	1802^nd	2118	14.9%
2019	19.62	1853^rd	2182	15.1%
2021	4.81	2218^th	2247	1.3%
2022	8.99	2120^th	2219	4.5%
2023	26.34	1705^th	2240	23.9%
2024	47.95	1143^rd	2256	49.3%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Westwood Heights Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	72	492	4	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	588
1989	52	553	6	21	4	n/a	n/a	0	636
1990	58	605	10	17	3	n/a	n/a	0	693
1991	50	676	10	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	758
1992	48	682	10	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	775
1993	43	630	13	28	4	n/a	n/a	0	718
1994	25	705	10	30	5	n/a	n/a	0	775
1995	23	798	5	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	859
1996	23	798	5	30	3	n/a	n/a	0	859
1997	16	791	5	34	5	n/a	n/a	0	851
1998	21	781	5	29	4	n/a	n/a	0	840
1999	12	712	5	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	750
2000	10	699	4	23	3	n/a	n/a	0	739
2001	11	791	1	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	828
2002	12	764	0	25	1	n/a	n/a	0	802
2003	12	764	0	25	1	n/a	n/a	0	802
2004	9	758	2	24	2	n/a	n/a	0	795
2005	9	749	1	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	782
2006	5	762	2	36	3	n/a	n/a	0	808
2007	19	719	1	28	1	n/a	n/a	13	781
2008	10	651	1	33	1	n/a	n/a	11	707
2009	6	630	3	26	1	n/a	n/a	8	674
2010	7	631	2	29	0	n/a	n/a	5	674
2011	5	555	1	24	0	0	7	0	592
2012	6	563	3	31	0	0	5	0	608
2013	8	560	2	33	1	0	5	0	609
2014	8	536	2	37	0	0	0	0	583
2015	4	540	1	38	0	0	2	0	585
2016	9	526	0	43	0	0	5	0	583
2017	5	569	1	45	0	0	6	0	626
2018	9	581	2	74	1	0	6	0	673
2019	13	601	2	100	0	0	12	0	728
2020	10	560	1	78	1	0	9	0	659
2021	7	546	1	67	0	0	8	0	629
2022	7	461	1	58	0	0	9	0	536
2023	12	444	1	57	2	0	6	0	522

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Westwood Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	588	30.0	19.6	57
1989	636	30.0	21.2	62.4
1990	693	34.0	20.3	62.8
1991	758	38.0	19.9	73.6
1992	775	43.0	18.0	65.5
1993	718	35.0	20.5	64.6
1994	775	32.0	24.2	52.9
1995	859	39.0	22.0	74.4
1996	859	39.0	22.0	74.4
1997	851	40.0	21.3	70.4
1998	840	42.0	20.0	74.9
1999	750	36.0	20.8	89.2
2000	739	36.0	20.5	90.5
2001	828	44.0	18.8	89.9
2002	802	49.0	16.4	99.6
2003	802	49.0	16.4	99.6
2004	795	52.0	15.3	80.3
2005	782	54.0	14.5	85.9
2006	808	59.0	13.7	73.3
2007	781	52.0	15.0	77.2
2008	707	54.0	13.1	90.4
2009	674	60.7	13.5	89.8
2010	674	47.0	14.3	93.1
2011	592	45.8	12.9	92.4
2012	608	41.0	14.8	92.6
2013	609	44.0	13.8	89.2
2014	583	46.0	12.6	95.5
2015	585	43.0	13.6	96.2
2016	583	42.0	13.8	95.7
2017	626	36.0	17.3	94.9
2018	673	41.0	16.4	96.1
2019	728	40.0	18.2	91.6
2020	659	39.0	16.8	91.7
2021	629	37.0	17.0	87.9
2022	536	32.0	16.7	80.8
2023	522	30.0	17.4	86.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Westwood Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	588	30.0	19.6	57
1989	636	30.0	21.2	62.4
1990	693	34.0	20.3	62.8
1991	758	38.0	19.9	73.6
1992	775	43.0	18.0	65.5
1993	718	35.0	20.5	64.6
1994	775	32.0	24.2	52.9
1995	859	39.0	22.0	74.4
1996	859	39.0	22.0	74.4
1997	851	40.0	21.3	70.4
1998	840	42.0	20.0	74.9
1999	750	36.0	20.8	89.2
2000	739	36.0	20.5	90.5
2001	828	44.0	18.8	89.9
2002	802	49.0	16.4	99.6
2003	802	49.0	16.4	99.6
2004	795	52.0	15.3	80.3
2005	782	54.0	14.5	85.9
2006	808	59.0	13.7	73.3
2007	781	52.0	15.0	77.2
2008	707	54.0	13.1	90.4
2009	674	60.7	13.5	89.8
2010	674	47.0	14.3	93.1
2011	592	45.8	12.9	92.4
2012	608	41.0	14.8	92.6
2013	609	44.0	13.8	89.2
2014	583	46.0	12.6	95.5
2015	585	43.0	13.6	96.2
2016	583	42.0	13.8	95.7
2017	626	36.0	17.3	94.9
2018	673	41.0	16.4	96.1
2019	728	40.0	18.2	91.6
2020	659	39.0	16.8	91.7
2021	629	37.0	17.0	87.9
2022	536	32.0	16.7	80.8
2023	522	30.0	17.4	86.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Westwood Heights Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,323 (14.0%)	$8,131 (86.0%)	$9,454
2019	$1,518 (16.2%)	$7,839 (83.8%)	$9,356
2020	$1,055 (10.5%)	$8,985 (89.5%)	$10,040
2021	$1,687 (14.6%)	$9,901 (85.4%)	$11,589
2022	$3,879 (28.5%)	$9,735 (71.5%)	$13,614
2023	$3,736 (24.5%)	$11,508 (75.5%)	$15,245

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Westwood Heights Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1853^rd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1705^th of 2240 Elementary schools	8.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Westwood Heights Elementary School)	34	25	9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Broward)	60	54	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Westwood Heights Elementary School)	62	43	19%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Broward)	65	58	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Westwood Heights Elementary School)	34	20	14%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Broward)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Westwood Heights Elementary School)	47	30	17%
4th Grade Mathematics (Broward)	67	61	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Westwood Heights Elementary School)	25	19	6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Broward)	59	58	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Westwood Heights Elementary School)	40	27	13%
5th Grade Mathematics (Broward)	64	53	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Westwood Heights Elementary School)	31	17	14%
5th Grade Science (Broward)	49	46	3%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	728	522	28.3%
African American	601	444	26.1%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	100	57	43%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	13	12	7.7%
Two or More Races	12	6	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.6%	86.8%	4.8%

Schools Near Westwood Heights Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Westwood Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2861 SW 9th St	Fort Lauderdale	33312	Broward County	Broward	No	No	No	Yes	(754) 323-7900	522	30	17.4	86.8%	12 (2.3%)	444 (85.1%)	57 (10.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	48	1143^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	49.3%		26.3	1705^th of 2240 public elementary schools	23.9%	562	46.0	48.0	50.0	63.0	49.0	68.0	50.0	$15,245	$3,736	$11,508
Riverland Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2600 SW 11th Ct	Fort Lauderdale	33312	Broward County	Broward	No	Yes	No	Yes	(754) 323-7200	490	28	17.5	86.5%	23 (4.7%)	227 (46.3%)	219 (44.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.7%)	39.4	1358^th of 2256 public elementary schools	39.8%		29.8	1615^th of 2240 public elementary schools	27.9%	257	36.0	50.0	59.0	35.0	52.0	55.0	48.0	$13,195	$2,714	$10,482
New Life Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	3550 Davie Blvd	Fort Lauderdale	33312	Broward County	Broward	Yes	No	No	Yes	(954) 381-5199	122	0		27.9%	7 (5.7%)	77 (63.1%)	37 (30.3%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37.8	1405^th of 2256 public elementary schools	37.7%		25.9	1726^th of 2240 public elementary schools	22.9%	321	57.0	43.0	64.0	57.0	21.0	45.0	14.0	$10,124	$1,356	$8,768
Stephen Foster Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3471 SW 22nd St	Fort Lauderdale	33312	Broward County	Broward	No	No	No	Yes	(754) 323-5750	691	46	15.1	74.7%	55 (8.0%)	110 (15.9%)	510 (73.8%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.2%)	65.3	744^th of 2256 public elementary schools	67.0%		40.3	1327^th of 2240 public elementary schools	40.8%	583	50.0	58.0	48.0	76.0	73.0	80.0	53.0	$12,261	$2,474	$9,786
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Montessori Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	591 NW 31st Ave	Lauderhill	33311	Broward County	Broward	No	Yes	No	Yes	(754) 322-6550	488	27	18.0	91.6%	4 (0.8%)	467 (95.7%)	12 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	28.4	1666^th of 2256 public elementary schools	26.2%		26.8	1687^th of 2240 public elementary schools	24.7%	21	42.0	25.0	26.0	64.0	52.0	49.0	28.0	$13,672	$3,432	$10,239
Broward Estates Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	441 NW 35th Ave	Lauderhill	33311	Broward County	Broward	No	Yes	No	Yes	(754) 322-5550	276	18	15.3	89.5%	2 (0.7%)	255 (92.4%)	16 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	25.2	1759^th of 2256 public elementary schools	22.0%		10.3	2126^th of 2240 public elementary schools	5.1%	367	36.0	33.0	43.0	61.0	42.0	40.0	37.0	$16,093	$2,879	$13,214
North Fork Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	101 NW 15th Ave	Fort Lauderdale	33311	Broward County	Broward	No	Yes	No	Yes	(754) 322-7350	358	22	16.2	93.3%	5 (1.4%)	318 (88.8%)	30 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	39.6	1353^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	40.0%		24.3	1760^th of 2240 public elementary schools	21.4%	407	33.0	34.0	44.0	74.0	55.0	57.0	44.0	$17,162	$4,238	$12,925
Plantation Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	651 NW 42nd Ave	Plantation	33317	Broward County	Broward	No	Yes	No	Yes	(754) 322-8000	577	40	14.4	82.5%	12 (2.1%)	502 (87.0%)	49 (8.5%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.4%)	53.8	997^th of 2256 public elementary schools	55.8%		36.5	1428^th of 2240 public elementary schools	36.3%	431	58.0	50.0	54.0	56.0	46.0	59.0	66.0	$14,257	$3,064	$11,192
Walker Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1001 NW 4th St	Fort Lauderdale	33311	Broward County	Broward	No	Yes	No	Yes	(754) 322-8800	539	34	15.8	92.0%	15 (2.8%)	509 (94.4%)	11 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	20.6	1889^th of 2256 public elementary schools	16.3%		6.2	2189^th of 2240 public elementary schools	2.3%	300	34.0	24.0	26.0	63.0	45.0	47.0	20.0	$14,918	$3,371	$11,547
Larkdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3250 NW 12th Pl	Lauderhill	33311	Broward County	Broward	No	No	No	Yes	(754) 322-6600	392	25	15.6	96.4%	0 (0.0%)	368 (93.9%)	16 (4.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	35.2	1482^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	34.3%		25.7	1731^st of 2240 public elementary schools	22.7%	249	30.0	37.0	56.0	48.0	48.0	56.0	57.0	$19,106	$4,797	$14,309

Frequently Asked Questions about Westwood Heights Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Westwood Heights Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Westwood Heights Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Parkway Middle School
High : South Plantation High School

How many students attend Westwood Heights Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 522 students attended Westwood Heights Elementary School.

Is Westwood Heights Elementary School a good school?

Westwood Heights Elementary School ranks 1143^rd of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Westwood Heights Elementary School?

Students at Westwood Heights Elementary School are 85% African American, 11% Hispanic, 2% White, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Westwood Heights Elementary School in?

Broward

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.