Hilltop Elementary School

Q: Is Hilltop Elementary School a good school?

Hilltop Elementary School ranks 1567 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Hilltop Elementary School is a public elementary school in Wauchula, Florida, serving 286 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Hardee School District, which is ranked 55 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hilltop Elementary stands out from nearby schools in several key ways. It has a significantly higher Hispanic student population (70.63%) compared to surrounding schools, which range from 50.16% to 67.55% Hispanic students. The school also consistently has higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 34.6% to 41.2%, compared to 28.3% to 35.0% at nearby schools. Academically, Hilltop's test scores are generally lower than the Hardee district and Florida state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, Hilltop's 5th-grade science proficiency was 35%, compared to the Hardee district's 40% and the state's 53%. Additionally, Hilltop has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 67.64% to 78.67%, compared to 66.99% to 82.78% at nearby schools.

Despite having the highest spending per student among the nearby schools, ranging from $9,568 to $12,524, Hilltop Elementary's performance does not reflect this higher investment. The school's statewide ranking has steadily declined from 453 out of 2,112 Florida elementary schools in 2016-2017 to 1,567 out of 2,256 in 2023-2024, with its star rating dropping from 4 to 2 over the same period. These challenges, including high chronic absenteeism and socioeconomic factors, suggest the need for targeted interventions to address the underlying issues and improve student achievement at Hilltop Elementary School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2401 Us Highway 17 N
Wauchula, FL 33873

(863) 773-2750

District: Hardee

SchoolDigger Rank:
1567^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,524

Students who attend Hilltop Elementary School usually attend:

High:	Hardee Junior High School
	Hardee Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 264

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.5%

White:

19.7%

African American:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Hilltop Elementary School ranks worse than 69.5% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Hardee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.88. (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: Hispanic (70.5%), White (19.7%), African American (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hilltop Elementary School is 15.5. 4 elementary schools in the Hardee School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Hilltop Elementary School employs 17 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hilltop Elementary School is $12,524, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Hardee School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Hardee:

SchoolDigger ranks Hardee 55^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Hilltop Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2009	47.85	1034^th	1847	44.0%
2010	61.62	779^th	1919	59.4%
2011	65.20	726^th	1985	63.4%
2012	59.92	799^th	1984	59.7%
2013	69.43	586^th	2029	71.1%
2014	73.95	485^th	2064	76.5%
2016	76.00	466^th	2087	77.7%
2017	76.78	453^rd	2112	78.6%
2018	61.56	787^th	2118	62.8%
2019	68.10	667^th	2182	69.4%
2021	68.13	683^rd	2247	69.6%
2022	50.15	1070^th	2219	51.8%
2023	32.97	1525^th	2240	31.9%
2024	31.88	1567^th	2256	30.5%

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

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Enrollment information for Hilltop Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	127	22	3	285	n/a	n/a	6	443
2008	116	20	6	328	n/a	n/a	9	479
2009	89	17	4	322	n/a	n/a	3	435
2010	68	14	1	264	n/a	n/a	8	355
2011	72	14	2	267	0	2	0	357
2012	64	10	6	270	0	0	0	350
2013	55	8	3	275	0	2	0	343
2014	63	11	6	296	0	3	0	379
2015	62	7	4	297	0	3	0	373
2016	53	7	7	325	0	2	0	394
2017	52	5	0	325	0	7	0	389
2018	73	3	0	271	0	9	0	356
2019	71	7	0	244	0	9	0	331
2020	77	9	3	214	0	9	0	312
2021	75	11	3	227	0	7	0	323
2022	64	5	2	226	0	12	0	309
2023	59	11	3	202	0	11	0	286
2024	52	10	6	186	1	9	0	264

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 Hilltop Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	443	30.0	14.8	72.5
2008	479	29.5	16.2	65.5
2009	435	35.4	13.2	92.1
2010	355	27.0	13.1	89.3
2011	357	28.0	12.7	91.6
2012	350	27.0	12.9	93.1
2013	343	29.0	11.8	90.4
2014	379	21.0	18.0	89.7
2015	373	26.0	14.3	86.9
2016	394	26.0	15.1	76.9
2017	389	26.0	14.9	69.2
2018	356	28.0	12.7	75.8
2019	331	15.0	22.0	76.7
2020	312	20.5	15.2	70.5
2021	323	18.0	17.9	73.1
2022	309	23.0	13.4	67.6
2023	286	18.0	15.8	78.7
2024	264	17.0	15.5	72

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 Hilltop Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	443	30.0	14.8	72.5
2008	479	29.5	16.2	65.5
2009	435	35.4	13.2	92.1
2010	355	27.0	13.1	89.3
2011	357	28.0	12.7	91.6
2012	350	27.0	12.9	93.1
2013	343	29.0	11.8	90.4
2014	379	21.0	18.0	89.7
2015	373	26.0	14.3	86.9
2016	394	26.0	15.1	76.9
2017	389	26.0	14.9	69.2
2018	356	28.0	12.7	75.8
2019	331	15.0	22.0	76.7
2020	312	20.5	15.2	70.5
2021	323	18.0	17.9	73.1
2022	309	23.0	13.4	67.6
2023	286	18.0	15.8	78.7
2024	264	17.0	15.5	72

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 Hilltop Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,235 (12.4%)	$8,736 (87.6%)	$9,971
2019	$1,421 (13.8%)	$8,910 (86.2%)	$10,331
2020	$1,178 (12.3%)	$8,396 (87.7%)	$9,575
2021	$1,771 (18.5%)	$7,796 (81.5%)	$9,568
2022	$2,611 (23.0%)	$8,738 (77.0%)	$11,349
2023	$3,571 (28.5%)	$8,953 (71.5%)	$12,524

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hilltop 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 667^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1525^th of 2240 Elementary schools	37.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hilltop Elementary School)	66	47	19%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hardee)	59	47	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hilltop Elementary School)	84	60	24%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hardee)	69	58	11%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hilltop Elementary School)	71	52	19%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hardee)	57	57
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hilltop Elementary School)	90	90
4th Grade Mathematics (Hardee)	73	68	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hilltop Elementary School)	38	40	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hardee)	48	54	6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hilltop Elementary School)	75	65	10%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hardee)	62	59	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Hilltop Elementary School)	45	23	22%
5th Grade Science (Hardee)	42	35	7%
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	331	286	13.6%
African American	7	11	57.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	244	202	17.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	71	59	16.9%
Two or More Races	9	11	22.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	76.7%	78.7%	1.9%

Schools Near Hilltop 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
Hilltop Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2401 Us Highway 17 N	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-2750	264	17	15.5	72.0%	52 (19.7%)	10 (3.8%)	186 (70.5%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.4%)	31.9	1567^th of 2256 public elementary schools	30.5%		33	1525^th of 2240 public elementary schools	31.9%	42	41.0	37.0	47.0	33.0	65.0	51.0	35.0	$12,524	$3,571	$8,953
North Wauchula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1120 N Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-2183	545	37	14.7	66.6%	153 (28.1%)	48 (8.8%)	332 (60.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	31.4	1582^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	29.9%		42.8	1259^th of 2240 public elementary schools	43.8%	323	46.0	50.0	38.0	49.0	51.0	38.0	36.0	$12,343	$3,086	$9,258
Hardee Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual	K-5	1009 N 6th Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 773-9058	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Wauchula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 S Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3141	572	41	13.9	65.0%	187 (32.7%)	55 (9.6%)	314 (54.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.4%)	57.6	906^th of 2256 public elementary schools	59.8%		61.4	805^th of 2240 public elementary schools	64.1%	101	63.0	57.0	50.0	64.0	65.0	55.0	43.0	$11,549	$2,669	$8,880
Bowling Green Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4530 Church Ave	Bowling Green	33834	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5471	291	20	14.5	66.3%	84 (28.9%)	13 (4.5%)	191 (65.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.6	1501^st of 2256 public elementary schools	33.5%		39.1	1357^th of 2240 public elementary schools	39.4%	144	47.0	40.0	45.0	36.0	53.0	64.0	42.0	$14,807	$4,159	$10,648
Zolfo Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3215 School House Rd	Zolfo Springs	33890	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5473	550	38	14.4	72.2%	202 (36.7%)	11 (2.0%)	321 (58.4%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.0%)	35.5	1474^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.7%		37.9	1387^th of 2240 public elementary schools	38.1%	87	51.0	49.0	34.0	56.0	52.0	43.0	40.0	$11,274	$2,746	$8,529
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	610 Charleston Ave S	Fort Meade	33841	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 285-1133	587	38	15.4	79.9%	178 (30.3%)	70 (11.9%)	325 (55.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	27.4	1701^st of 2256 public elementary schools	24.6%		34.1	1495^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.3%	206	43.0	42.0	32.0	46.0	50.0	41.0	43.0	$11,889	$1,962	$9,927
Sebring Pre-K Center	Public	PK	3560 Us-27	Sebring	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(813) 314-5281	206	11	18.7	80.1%	84 (40.8%)	23 (11.2%)	89 (43.2%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (2.9%)								(n/a)
Avon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	705 Winthrop St	Avon Park	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 452-4355	553	29	19.4	86.1%	138 (25.0%)	115 (20.8%)	276 (49.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	35.8	1466^th of 2256 public elementary schools	35.0%		33.3	1511^th of 2240 public elementary schools	32.5%	45	57.0	42.0	37.0	66.0	52.0	40.0	37.0	$11,771	$3,676	$8,095
Sun 'n Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4515 Ponce De Leon Blvd	Sebring	33872	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5464	590	33	17.8	76.1%	230 (39.0%)	143 (24.2%)	159 (26.9%)	22 (3.7%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	31 (5.3%)	65.8	730^th of 2256 public elementary schools	67.6%		61.7	801^st of 2240 public elementary schools	64.2%	71	67.0	53.0	61.0	67.0	62.0	63.0	59.0	$10,756	$3,097	$7,659

Frequently Asked Questions about Hilltop Elementary School

What district is Hilltop Elementary School in?

Hardee

What schools do graduates of Hilltop Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hilltop Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Hardee Junior High School
High : Hardee Senior High School

Is Hilltop Elementary School a good school?

Hilltop Elementary School ranks 1567^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Hilltop Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 264 students attended Hilltop Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Hilltop Elementary School?

Students at Hilltop Elementary School are 70% Hispanic, 20% White, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.