Southwest Middle School

Summary:

Southwest Middle School is a public middle school located in Lakeland, Florida, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 801. The school is part of the Polk County School District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southwest Middle School consistently performs below the Polk County and Florida state averages in most standardized test subjects, including English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. The school also has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate compared to the state and district averages, with 41.7% of students chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year. Additionally, 62.92% of students at Southwest Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When compared to nearby middle schools in the Polk County district, such as Lakeland Highlands Middle School and Lawton Chiles Middle Academy, Southwest Middle School is underperforming. However, the school does perform relatively well in End-of-Course (EOC) exams for Algebra 1 and Geometry, with 75% and 74% of students proficient or better, respectively, in the 2023-2024 school year.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2815 Eden Pkwy
Lakeland, FL 33803

(863) 499-2840

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1028^th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,917

Feeder schools for Southwest Middle School:

Elementary:

Cleveland Court Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 801

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.0%

White:

30.3%

African American:

26.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 62.9%

See top rated Florida middle schools

Compare Southwest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southwest Middle School ranks worse than 86% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks 16^th among 26 ranked middle schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.76. (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 Student population at Southwest Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (38%), White (30.3%), African American (26.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 62.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwest Middle School is 17.4, which is the 3^rd best among 26 middle schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Southwest Middle School employs 46 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwest Middle School is $9,917, which is the 3^rd highest among 26 middle schools in the Polk School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Southwest Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Southwest Middle School 1028^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Southwest Middle School in the ranking list.)

Polk:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk 57^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southwest Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	53.40	298^th	593	49.7%
2005	46.70	354^th	602	41.2%
2006	49.62	359^th	675	46.8%
2007	44.82	437^th	736	40.6%
2008	44.29	445^th	740	39.9%
2009	37.59	528^th	780	32.3%
2010	43.02	531^st	839	36.7%
2011	41.63	567^th	891	36.4%
2012	36.63	588^th	897	34.4%
2013	38.12	611^th	956	36.1%
2014	21.76	808^th	999	19.1%
2016	27.88	730^th	997	26.8%
2017	27.02	758^th	1031	26.5%
2018	19.25	869^th	1035	16.0%
2019	19.55	910^th	1099	17.2%
2021	16.44	982^nd	1136	13.6%
2022	20.47	959^th	1148	16.5%
2023	15.28	1037^th	1177	11.9%
2024	17.76	1028^th	1196	14.0%

See the entire list of Florida Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Southwest Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	713	168	5	19	8	n/a	n/a	0	913
1989	682	177	8	30	5	n/a	n/a	0	902
1990	636	179	13	38	4	n/a	n/a	0	870
1991	687	191	15	52	4	n/a	n/a	0	949
1992	687	170	15	43	3	n/a	n/a	0	918
1993	1098	204	18	69	4	n/a	n/a	0	1393
1994	831	181	10	56	3	n/a	n/a	0	1081
1995	744	220	15	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	1059
1996	744	220	15	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	1059
1997	740	215	10	96	0	n/a	n/a	0	1061
1998	815	222	6	89	2	n/a	n/a	0	1134
1999	740	205	5	96	1	n/a	n/a	0	1047
2000	670	181	5	72	1	n/a	n/a	0	929
2001	637	188	10	78	1	n/a	n/a	0	914
2002	654	219	14	87	1	n/a	n/a	0	975
2003	654	219	14	87	1	n/a	n/a	0	975
2004	662	194	15	83	4	n/a	n/a	0	958
2005	623	205	14	111	3	n/a	n/a	0	956
2006	594	173	12	131	2	n/a	n/a	0	912
2007	586	189	9	154	3	n/a	n/a	34	975
2008	564	197	12	164	1	n/a	n/a	27	965
2009	480	204	13	158	1	n/a	n/a	32	888
2010	462	191	15	143	0	n/a	n/a	33	844
2011	469	200	12	191	4	0	45	0	921
2012	460	203	12	199	5	0	50	0	929
2013	411	216	11	232	4	0	44	0	918
2014	390	226	13	221	5	0	44	0	899
2015	387	193	13	219	5	1	34	0	852
2016	309	170	10	198	0	2	23	0	712
2017	295	171	10	226	1	1	25	0	729
2018	277	188	11	272	3	2	26	0	779
2019	262	202	14	290	4	2	28	0	802
2020	240	207	14	308	2	2	36	0	809
2021	240	168	12	273	3	1	41	0	738
2022	247	211	9	299	1	2	37	0	806
2023	243	210	8	304	2	2	32	0	801

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 Southwest Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	913	43.0	21.2	29.6
1989	902	47.0	19.1	27.9
1990	870	49.0	17.7	0
1991	949	51.0	18.6	31.4
1992	918	49.0	18.7	25.2
1993	1393	67.0	20.8	23.2
1994	1081	48.0	22.5	28
1995	1059	51.0	20.8	45.6
1996	1059	51.0	20.8	45.6
1997	1061	54.0	19.6	50.2
1998	1134	56.0	20.3	47.4
1999	1047	62.0	16.9	57.8
2000	929	53.0	17.5	48
2001	914	57.0	16.0	47.9
2002	975	57.0	17.1	53
2003	975	57.0	17.1	53
2004	958	60.0	16.0	52.9
2005	956	59.0	16.2	53.7
2006	912	65.0	14.0	55.8
2007	975	64.0	15.2	61.4
2008	965	71.5	13.5	35.3
2009	888	74.6	14.0	65.8
2010	844	57.0	14.8	72.6
2011	921	58.0	15.8	72.3
2012	929	60.0	15.4	73.6
2013	918	62.0	14.8	71.7
2014	899	55.0	16.3	67.6
2015	852	52.0	16.3	66
2016	712	54.0	13.1	63.1
2017	729	52.0	14.0	61.3
2018	779	46.0	16.9	60.5
2019	802	48.0	16.7	60.5
2020	809	48.0	16.8	57.5
2021	738	44.0	16.7	58.3
2022	806	50.0	16.1	60.3
2023	801	46.0	17.4	62.9

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 Southwest Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	913	43.0	21.2	29.6
1989	902	47.0	19.1	27.9
1990	870	49.0	17.7	0
1991	949	51.0	18.6	31.4
1992	918	49.0	18.7	25.2
1993	1393	67.0	20.8	23.2
1994	1081	48.0	22.5	28
1995	1059	51.0	20.8	45.6
1996	1059	51.0	20.8	45.6
1997	1061	54.0	19.6	50.2
1998	1134	56.0	20.3	47.4
1999	1047	62.0	16.9	57.8
2000	929	53.0	17.5	48
2001	914	57.0	16.0	47.9
2002	975	57.0	17.1	53
2003	975	57.0	17.1	53
2004	958	60.0	16.0	52.9
2005	956	59.0	16.2	53.7
2006	912	65.0	14.0	55.8
2007	975	64.0	15.2	61.4
2008	965	71.5	13.5	35.3
2009	888	74.6	14.0	65.8
2010	844	57.0	14.8	72.6
2011	921	58.0	15.8	72.3
2012	929	60.0	15.4	73.6
2013	918	62.0	14.8	71.7
2014	899	55.0	16.3	67.6
2015	852	52.0	16.3	66
2016	712	54.0	13.1	63.1
2017	729	52.0	14.0	61.3
2018	779	46.0	16.9	60.5
2019	802	48.0	16.7	60.5
2020	809	48.0	16.8	57.5
2021	738	44.0	16.7	58.3
2022	806	50.0	16.1	60.3
2023	801	46.0	17.4	62.9

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 Southwest Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,077 (12.7%)	$7,430 (87.3%)	$8,507
2019	$1,076 (12.4%)	$7,578 (87.5%)	$8,656
2020	$1,198 (13.6%)	$7,598 (86.4%)	$8,795
2021	$1,496 (16.3%)	$7,681 (83.7%)	$9,178
2022	$2,303 (22.4%)	$7,996 (77.6%)	$10,300
2023	$1,863 (18.8%)	$8,054 (81.2%)	$9,917

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest Middle 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 910^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 1037^th of 1177 Middle schools	5.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Southwest Middle School)	39	38	1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	43	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Southwest Middle School)	35	29	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	47	37	10%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Southwest Middle School)	35	28	7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	42	38	4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Southwest Middle School)	27	28	1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	39	35	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Southwest Middle School)	38	31	7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	41	7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	49	7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Southwest Middle School)	19	14	5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	35	32	3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Science (Southwest Middle School)	25	29	4%
8th Grade Science (Polk)	41	33	8%
8th Grade Science (Florida)	48	44	4%
End of Course Civics (Southwest Middle School)	57	69	12%
End of Course Civics (Polk)	70	65	5%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Southwest Middle School)	59	49	10%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Polk)	51	41	10%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Southwest Middle School)	79	52	27%
End of Course Geometry (Polk)	54	37	17%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	802	801	0.1%
African American	202	210	4%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	14	8	42.9%
Hispanic	290	304	4.8%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	262	243	7.3%
Two or More Races	28	32	14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.5%	62.9%	2.4%

Schools Near Southwest Middle 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)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Civics (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 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwest Middle School	Public	6-8	2815 Eden Pkwy	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2840	801	46	17.4	62.9%	243 (30.3%)	210 (26.2%)	304 (38.0%)	8 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	32 (4.0%)	17.8	1028^th of 1196 public middle schools	14.0%		15.3	1037^th of 1177 public middle schools	11.9%	9	24.0	34.0	34.0	26.0	22.0	27.0	32.0	75.0	74.0	67.0	$9,917	$1,863	$8,054
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	400 Florida Ave N	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 499-2742	649	34	19.0	32.7%	298 (45.9%)	143 (22.0%)	135 (20.8%)	47 (7.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.9%)	76.4	245^th of 1196 public middle schools	79.5%		68.6	340^th of 1177 public middle schools	71.1%	95	70.0	66.0	71.0	69.0	59.0	40.0	70.0	71.0	99.0	100.0	$9,583	$1,426	$8,155
Lakeland Highlands Middle School	Public	6-8	740 Lake Miriam Dr	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3500	1,265	64	19.7	40.6%	647 (51.1%)	177 (14.0%)	349 (27.6%)	34 (2.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (4.3%)	50.5	583^rd of 1196 public middle schools	51.3%		45.6	626^th of 1177 public middle schools	46.8%	43	54.0	52.0	53.0	48.0	35.0	55.0	47.0	91.0	96.0	84.0	$7,875	$1,125	$6,750
Crystal Lake Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2410 Crystal Lake Dr N	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 499-2970	949	51	18.6	70.9%	278 (29.3%)	184 (19.4%)	434 (45.7%)	9 (0.9%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	38 (4.0%)	14.5	1057^th of 1196 public middle schools	11.6%		17.4	1010^th of 1177 public middle schools	14.2%	47	32.0	28.0	30.0	24.0	10.0	24.0	29.0	57.0	86.0	52.0	$9,469	$1,546	$7,922
Lakeland Montessori Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	1124 N. Lake Parker Ave	Lakeland	33805	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 413-0003	30	2	15.0	10.0%	17 (56.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (23.3%)	2 (6.7%)	2 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.7%)	91.6	66^th of 1196 public middle schools	94.5%		97.6	9^th of 1177 public middle schools	99.2%	57		73.0	100.0		80.0		67.0	93.0		100.0	$6,794	$1,002	$5,791
Sleepy Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	2215 Sleepy Hill Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 815-6577	1,090	55	19.8	66.5%	260 (23.9%)	285 (26.1%)	487 (44.7%)	20 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (3.4%)	14.8	1056^th of 1196 public middle schools	11.7%		14.6	1043^rd of 1177 public middle schools	11.4%	13	27.0	25.0	33.0	23.0	16.0	34.0	25.0	64.0	83.0	74.0	$8,552	$1,329	$7,222
Lake Gibson Middle School	Public	6-8	6901 Socrum Loop Rd N	Lakeland	33809	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6151	1,218	63	19.3	56.1%	529 (43.4%)	275 (22.6%)	367 (30.1%)	22 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	21 (1.7%)	19.5	1004^th of 1196 public middle schools	16.1%		23.1	934^th of 1177 public middle schools	20.6%	70	28.0	32.0	34.0	23.0	24.0	34.0	33.0	70.0	51.0	84.0	$8,908	$1,766	$7,142
Mulberry Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Dr Mlk Jr Ave SE	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1066	1,200	61	19.6	62.8%	461 (38.4%)	102 (8.5%)	606 (50.5%)	10 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (1.6%)	26.8	904^th of 1196 public middle schools	24.4%		25.4	902^nd of 1177 public middle schools	23.4%	2	32.0	32.0	42.0	42.0	33.0	37.0	36.0	73.0	98.0	85.0	$8,555	$1,401	$7,153
Kathleen Middle School	Public	6-8	3627 Kathleen Pnes	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6040	821	44	18.6	67.8%	314 (38.2%)	148 (18.0%)	333 (40.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (2.8%)	14.3	1061^st of 1196 public middle schools	11.3%		15	1040^th of 1177 public middle schools	11.6%	21	28.0	26.0	27.0	27.0	20.0	37.0	21.0	83.0		73.0	$9,292	$1,623	$7,669
Marshall Middle Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-8	18 S Maryland Ave	Plant City	33563	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	Yes	No	Yes	(813) 757-9360	1,089	52	21.1	69.1%	324 (29.8%)	134 (12.3%)	584 (53.6%)	9 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (3.4%)	32.9	824^th of 1196 public middle schools	31.1%		29.1	854^th of 1177 public middle schools	27.4%	30	50.0	39.0	38.0	38.0	18.0	55.0	29.0	74.0		51.0	$8,224	$1,854	$6,370

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Middle School

Is Southwest Middle School a good school?

Southwest Middle School ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Florida middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest Middle School?

Students at Southwest Middle School are 38% Hispanic, 30% White, 26% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Southwest Middle School in?

Polk

How many students attend Southwest Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 801 students attended Southwest Middle School.

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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.