Independence Elementary

Summary:

Independence Elementary is a public elementary school located in Winter Garden, Florida, serving 848 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Orange County School District, which is ranked 31 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Independence Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Florida, with a statewide ranking between 62 and 221 out of over 2,200 schools in recent years. The school's students perform significantly better than the district and state averages on standardized tests, with proficiency rates that are often 10-20 percentage points higher in English Language Arts and Mathematics. In 5th grade Science, Independence Elementary's proficiency rate is around 80%, compared to 61% for the Orange County district and 53% for the state of Florida. The school also has a relatively diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 46.34% White, 34.67% Hispanic, 10.73% Asian, and 3.3% African American, which is higher than some of the nearby schools like Windermere Elementary.

However, Independence Elementary has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 8% in 2018-2019 to 19.9% in 2022-2023, which is still lower than the 24.6% rate at the nearby Sunridge Elementary. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 22.41% in 2022-2023, which is lower than several of the nearby schools, such as Castleview Elementary (38.61%), indicating a higher socioeconomic status of the student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

6255 New Independence Pkwy
Winter Garden, FL 34787

(407) 217-7727

District: Orange

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,588

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bridgewater Middle
High:	Horizon High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.6

Number of students: 848

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.3%

Hispanic:

34.7%

Asian:

10.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 22.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Elementary ranks better than 90.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 18^th among 163 ranked elementary schools in the Orange School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.11. (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: White (46.3%), Hispanic (34.7%), Asian (10.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 22.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Elementary is 17.6. 135 elementary schools in the Orange School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Independence Elementary employs 48 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Elementary is $8,588. 156 elementary schools in the Orange School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Orange:

SchoolDigger ranks Orange 31^st of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Independence Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2016	87.76	202^nd	2087	90.3%
2017	92.69	82^nd	2112	96.1%
2018	92.77	84^th	2118	96.0%
2019	92.08	93^rd	2182	95.7%
2021	94.66	62^nd	2247	97.2%
2022	92.51	108^th	2219	95.1%
2023	87.81	221^st	2240	90.1%
2024	89.11	207^th	2256	90.8%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Independence Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	441	45	34	245	2	0	18	785
2017	485	56	34	194	1	1	17	788
2018	590	71	49	296	0	3	27	1036
2019	654	71	98	446	1	5	33	1308
2020	577	45	79	385	0	5	38	1129
2021	317	29	48	274	0	2	22	692
2022	364	25	73	305	0	2	34	803
2023	393	28	91	294	0	2	40	848

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 Independence Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	785	50.0	15.7	29.7
2017	788	49.0	16.0	19.8
2018	1036	66.0	15.6	21.3
2019	1308	80.0	16.3	18.3
2020	1129	69.0	16.3	19.7
2021	692	43.0	16.0	26.6
2022	803	48.0	16.7	17.6
2023	848	48.0	17.6	22.4

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 Independence Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	785	50.0	15.7	29.7
2017	788	49.0	16.0	19.8
2018	1036	66.0	15.6	21.3
2019	1308	80.0	16.3	18.3
2020	1129	69.0	16.3	19.7
2021	692	43.0	16.0	26.6
2022	803	48.0	16.7	17.6
2023	848	48.0	17.6	22.4

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 Independence Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$83 (1.3%)	$6,087 (98.7%)	$6,170
2019	$90 (1.5%)	$5,987 (98.5%)	$6,077
2020	$180 (2.4%)	$7,292 (97.6%)	$7,472
2021	$550 (6.6%)	$7,804 (93.4%)	$8,353
2022	$1,150 (13.9%)	$7,113 (86.1%)	$8,262
2023	$1,014 (11.8%)	$7,574 (88.2%)	$8,588

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Elementary

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 93^rd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 221^st of 2240 Elementary schools	5.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary)	81	77	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Orange)	55	54	1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Independence Elementary)	88	84	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Orange)	62	61	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary)	81	79	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Orange)	57	57
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Independence Elementary)	88	83	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Orange)	63	62	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary)	81	78	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Orange)	54	53	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Independence Elementary)	84	83	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Orange)	57	52	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Independence Elementary)	76	78	2%
5th Grade Science (Orange)	54	59	5%
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	1308	848	35.2%
African American	71	28	60.6%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	98	91	7.1%
Hispanic	446	294	34.1%
Pacific Islander	5	2	60%
White	654	393	39.9%
Two or More Races	33	40	21.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.3%	22.4%	4.1%

Schools Near Independence Elementary

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
Independence Elementary	Public	K-5	6255 New Independence Pkwy	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 217-7727	848	48	17.6	22.4%	393 (46.3%)	28 (3.3%)	294 (34.7%)	91 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	40 (4.7%)	89.1	207^th of 2256 public elementary schools	90.8%		87.8	221^st of 2240 public elementary schools	90.1%	14	72.0	75.0	75.0	81.0	77.0	76.0	81.0	$8,588	$1,014	$7,574
Summerlake Elementary	Public	K-5	15450 Porter Road	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 317-3200	748	47	15.9	16.4%	401 (53.6%)	24 (3.2%)	238 (31.8%)	58 (7.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (3.2%)	90.9	144^th of 2256 public elementary schools	93.6%		95.1	44^th of 2240 public elementary schools	98.0%	100	84.0	75.0	70.0	92.0	89.0	69.0	81.0	$9,309	$1,084	$8,225
Keenes Crossing Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5240 Keenes Pheasant Dr	Windermere	34786	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 654-1351	1,000	59	16.9	22.5%	500 (50.0%)	41 (4.1%)	309 (30.9%)	97 (9.7%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	47 (4.7%)	93.7	78^th of 2256 public elementary schools	96.5%		91.8	119^th of 2240 public elementary schools	94.7%	41	85.0	77.0	80.0	82.0	82.0	86.0	83.0	$10,022	$1,369	$8,655
Sunset Park Elementary	Public	K-5	12050 Overstreet Rd	Windermere	34786	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 905-3724	811	52	15.5	29.2%	314 (38.7%)	34 (4.2%)	388 (47.8%)	41 (5.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.1%)	83.4	330^th of 2256 public elementary schools	85.4%		80.4	401^st of 2240 public elementary schools	82.1%	71	68.0	71.0	69.0	72.0	81.0	69.0	73.0	$10,390	$1,427	$8,963
Bay Lake Elementary	Public	K-5	12005 Silverlake Park Dr	Windermere	34786	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 217-7960	705	42	16.7	33.6%	226 (32.1%)	39 (5.5%)	352 (49.9%)	71 (10.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.1%)	70.1	640^th of 2256 public elementary schools	71.6%		76.5	474^th of 2240 public elementary schools	78.8%	166	62.0	63.0	58.0	65.0	78.0	59.0	62.0	$9,246	$1,318	$7,927
Whispering Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15300 Stoneybrook West Pkwy	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 656-7773	825	51	16.1	19.2%	448 (54.3%)	77 (9.3%)	195 (23.6%)	60 (7.3%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.7%)	38 (4.6%)	96.4	29^th of 2256 public elementary schools	98.7%		97.1	18^th of 2240 public elementary schools	99.2%	11	86.0	78.0	88.0	90.0	86.0	94.0	94.0	$10,596	$1,232	$9,365
Castleview Elementary	Public	K-5	9131 Taborfield Ave	Orlando	32836	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 612-4205	707	41	17.2	38.6%	239 (33.8%)	26 (3.7%)	353 (49.9%)	65 (9.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (3.0%)	60.7	847^th of 2256 public elementary schools	62.5%		77.6	455^th of 2240 public elementary schools	79.7%	392	60.0	57.0	61.0	62.0	52.0	57.0	61.0	$8,783	$944	$7,839
Windermere Elementary	Public	K-5	11125 Park Ave	Windermere	34786	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 876-7520	610	38	16.0	10.2%	391 (64.1%)	25 (4.1%)	100 (16.4%)	65 (10.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.4%)	96.4	28^th of 2256 public elementary schools	98.8%		95.1	45^th of 2240 public elementary schools	98.0%	17	93.0	81.0	83.0	94.0	89.0	84.0	88.0	$10,982	$1,769	$9,213
Sunridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14455 Sunridge Blvd	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 656-0809	687	37	18.5	47.9%	192 (27.9%)	127 (18.5%)	285 (41.5%)	34 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (6.7%)	59.4	876^th of 2256 public elementary schools	61.2%		54.9	972^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	56.6%	96	65.0	49.0	60.0	61.0	58.0	51.0	63.0	$9,299	$1,095	$8,205
Lake Whitney Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1351 Windermere Rd	Winter Garden	34787	Orange County	Orange	No	No	No	No	(407) 877-8888	622	38	16.3	22.5%	359 (57.7%)	65 (10.5%)	97 (15.6%)	56 (9.0%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	40 (6.4%)	94.7	57^th of 2256 public elementary schools	97.5%		94.1	63^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	97.2%	6	84.0	73.0	83.0	87.0	82.0	92.0	87.0	$11,067	$1,563	$9,504

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Elementary

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bridgewater Middle
High : Horizon High School

How many students attend Independence Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 848 students attended Independence Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary?

Students at Independence Elementary are 46% White, 35% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Independence Elementary in?

Orange

Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Yes. Independence Elementary ranks in the top 9.2% of Florida elementary schools.

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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.