Walter Caldwell Elementary School

Q: Is Walter Caldwell Elementary School a good school?

Walter Caldwell Elementary School ranks 1298 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Walter Caldwell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Auburndale, Florida, serving 895 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Polk County School District, which is ranked 57th out of 68 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Walter Caldwell Elementary School faces several challenges, including a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate (39.6% to 45.9%) compared to nearby schools, lower test scores in English Language Arts and Math compared to district and state averages, and a higher percentage of students (58.44% to 65.06%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch. These factors contribute to the school's consistently low ranking, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade, placing it among the lower-performing schools in Florida. While the school's student-teacher ratio and spending per student are similar to nearby schools, the diversity of the student population, with a mix of White, African American, and Hispanic students, suggests that the issues faced by Walter Caldwell Elementary may be reflective of broader challenges within the local education system.

Some nearby schools, such as Lena Vista Elementary and Inwood Elementary, also struggle with low test scores and high chronic absenteeism rates, indicating that the challenges faced by Walter Caldwell Elementary School may not be unique to the school itself. This suggests that a comprehensive approach, addressing the underlying factors contributing to the performance of schools in the area, may be necessary to improve student outcomes at Walter Caldwell Elementary and the surrounding schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

141 Dairy Rd
Auburndale, FL 33823

(863) 965-5470

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1298^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,619

Students who attend Walter Caldwell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Jere L. Stambaugh Middle
High:	Auburndale Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 895

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

36.0%

White:

32.2%

African American:

27.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 71.7%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Walter Caldwell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Walter Caldwell Elementary School ranks worse than 57.5% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 29^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.76. (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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (36%), White (32.2%), African American (27.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 71.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Walter Caldwell Elementary School is 16.2, which is the 44^th best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Walter Caldwell Elementary School employs 55 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Walter Caldwell Elementary School is $9,619. 67 elementary schools in the Polk School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Polk:

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

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Rank History for Walter Caldwell Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	48.58	888^th	1688	47.4%
2007	53.04	895^th	1786	49.9%
2008	55.69	838^th	1789	53.2%
2009	53.55	911^th	1847	50.7%
2010	43.42	1176^th	1919	38.7%
2011	16.54	1757^th	1985	11.5%
2012	30.93	1418^th	1984	28.5%
2013	35.53	1342^nd	2029	33.9%
2014	24.64	1636^th	2064	20.7%
2016	17.17	1809^th	2087	13.3%
2017	19.26	1801^st	2112	14.7%
2018	16.30	1868^th	2118	11.8%
2019	22.64	1769^th	2182	18.9%
2021	16.49	1941^st	2247	13.6%
2022	19.91	1859^th	2219	16.2%
2023	25.94	1721^st	2240	23.2%
2024	41.76	1298^th	2256	42.5%

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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	469	66	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	551
1989	470	56	1	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	539
1990	508	77	0	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	601
1991	540	65	1	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	620
1992	559	69	1	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	645
1993	585	69	0	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	675
1994	494	92	0	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	605
1995	538	97	3	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	659
1996	538	97	3	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	659
1997	541	117	3	33	0	n/a	n/a	0	694
1998	513	105	0	52	0	n/a	n/a	0	670
1999	492	110	0	55	0	n/a	n/a	0	657
2000	508	140	0	74	0	n/a	n/a	0	722
2001	414	120	2	87	0	n/a	n/a	0	623
2002	400	151	7	83	1	n/a	n/a	0	642
2003	400	151	7	83	1	n/a	n/a	0	642
2004	429	167	7	94	1	n/a	n/a	0	698
2005	456	157	8	103	1	n/a	n/a	0	725
2006	482	138	9	118	0	n/a	n/a	0	747
2007	431	164	11	135	0	n/a	n/a	18	759
2008	425	144	4	146	3	n/a	n/a	25	747
2009	428	153	4	133	2	n/a	n/a	34	754
2010	398	164	1	114	2	n/a	n/a	35	714
2011	334	152	5	147	2	0	21	0	661
2012	290	150	5	149	2	0	25	0	621
2013	284	154	4	159	1	1	18	0	621
2014	281	162	6	159	0	1	20	0	629
2015	267	159	6	193	0	0	18	0	643
2016	301	144	7	184	0	0	16	0	652
2017	312	142	7	183	0	1	20	0	665
2018	292	132	8	188	1	1	17	0	639
2019	259	151	7	210	1	0	21	0	649
2020	276	168	6	254	1	1	22	0	728
2021	252	177	7	269	0	1	20	0	726
2022	285	182	8	300	2	0	33	0	810
2023	290	230	9	327	2	1	36	0	895
2024	288	243	9	322	1	0	32	0	895

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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	551	27.0	20.4	34.5
1989	539	32.0	16.8	28.4
1990	601	30.0	20.0	13.3
1991	620	29.0	21.3	33.7
1992	645	30.0	21.5	29.9
1993	675	32.0	21.1	34.4
1994	605	31.0	19.5	36.9
1995	659	31.0	21.3	33.8
1996	659	31.0	21.3	33.8
1997	694	30.0	23.1	41.1
1998	670	31.0	21.6	41
1999	657	32.0	20.5	52.4
2000	722	36.0	20.1	52.9
2001	623	32.0	19.5	62.4
2002	642	34.0	18.9	66.7
2003	642	34.0	18.9	66.7
2004	698	42.0	16.6	70.6
2005	725	44.0	16.5	68
2006	747	53.0	14.1	51.3
2007	759	55.0	13.8	61.7
2008	747	56.0	13.3	65.2
2009	754	62.3	14.2	72.2
2010	714	48.5	14.7	76.9
2011	661	47.0	14.0	74.7
2012	621	41.0	15.1	82.3
2013	621	38.0	16.3	83.4
2014	629	39.0	16.1	59.6
2015	643	41.0	15.6	64.9
2016	652	41.0	15.9	66
2017	665	38.0	17.5	62.4
2018	639	39.0	16.3	61
2019	649	39.0	16.6	60.7
2020	728	41.0	17.7	56.6
2021	726	43.0	16.8	61.2
2022	810	44.0	18.4	65.1
2023	895	51.0	17.5	58.4
2024	895	55.0	16.2	71.7

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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	551	27.0	20.4	34.5
1989	539	32.0	16.8	28.4
1990	601	30.0	20.0	13.3
1991	620	29.0	21.3	33.7
1992	645	30.0	21.5	29.9
1993	675	32.0	21.1	34.4
1994	605	31.0	19.5	36.9
1995	659	31.0	21.3	33.8
1996	659	31.0	21.3	33.8
1997	694	30.0	23.1	41.1
1998	670	31.0	21.6	41
1999	657	32.0	20.5	52.4
2000	722	36.0	20.1	52.9
2001	623	32.0	19.5	62.4
2002	642	34.0	18.9	66.7
2003	642	34.0	18.9	66.7
2004	698	42.0	16.6	70.6
2005	725	44.0	16.5	68
2006	747	53.0	14.1	51.3
2007	759	55.0	13.8	61.7
2008	747	56.0	13.3	65.2
2009	754	62.3	14.2	72.2
2010	714	48.5	14.7	76.9
2011	661	47.0	14.0	74.7
2012	621	41.0	15.1	82.3
2013	621	38.0	16.3	83.4
2014	629	39.0	16.1	59.6
2015	643	41.0	15.6	64.9
2016	652	41.0	15.9	66
2017	665	38.0	17.5	62.4
2018	639	39.0	16.3	61
2019	649	39.0	16.6	60.7
2020	728	41.0	17.7	56.6
2021	726	43.0	16.8	61.2
2022	810	44.0	18.4	65.1
2023	895	51.0	17.5	58.4
2024	895	55.0	16.2	71.7

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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,215 (14.5%)	$7,136 (85.5%)	$8,351
2019	$1,132 (13.6%)	$7,184 (86.4%)	$8,317
2020	$1,097 (13.1%)	$7,257 (86.9%)	$8,353
2021	$1,345 (15.7%)	$7,204 (84.3%)	$8,549
2022	$2,127 (23.6%)	$6,872 (76.4%)	$8,998
2023	$1,744 (18.1%)	$7,875 (81.9%)	$9,619

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Walter Caldwell 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 1769^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1721^st of 2240 Elementary schools	4.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Walter Caldwell Elementary School)	52	38	14%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Walter Caldwell Elementary School)	58	38	20%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Walter Caldwell Elementary School)	34	38	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Walter Caldwell Elementary School)	53	48	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Walter Caldwell Elementary School)	38	39	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Walter Caldwell Elementary School)	24	20	4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Walter Caldwell Elementary School)	28	35	7%
5th Grade Science (Polk)	45	39	6%
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	649	895	37.9%
African American	151	230	52.3%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	7	9	28.6%
Hispanic	210	327	55.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	259	290	12%
Two or More Races	21	36	71.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.7%	58.4%	2.3%

Schools Near Walter Caldwell 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)		EOC Algebra 1 (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 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Walter Caldwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	141 Dairy Rd	Auburndale	33823	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5470	895	55	16.2	71.7%	288 (32.2%)	243 (27.2%)	322 (36.0%)	9 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (3.6%)	41.8	1298^th of 2256 public elementary schools	42.5%		25.9	1721^st of 2240 public elementary schools	23.2%	423	38.0	45.0	57.0				49.0	50.0	54.0				59.0				$9,619	$1,744	$7,875
Auburndale Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	320 Lemon St	Auburndale	33823	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5450	372	22	16.9	79.3%	101 (27.2%)	98 (26.3%)	149 (40.1%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.1%)	27.8	1690^th of 2256 public elementary schools	25.1%		20.1	1891^st of 2240 public elementary schools	15.6%	201	32.0	36.0	52.0				37.0	34.0	48.0				58.0				$10,083	$2,000	$8,082
Hartridge Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	1400 Us Highway 92 W	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 956-4434	171	10	17.1	55.0%	83 (48.5%)	20 (11.7%)	58 (33.9%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.1%)	67.8	686^th of 2256 public elementary schools	69.6%		71.9	587^th of 2240 public elementary schools	73.8%	99	56.0	59.0	82.0				73.0	67.0	68.0				41.0				$8,954	$355	$8,599
Fred G. Garner Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 Havendale Blvd NW	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5455	840	52	16.1	81.8%	145 (17.3%)	341 (40.6%)	329 (39.2%)	7 (0.8%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.7%)	32.3	1552^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	31.2%		15.6	2013^th of 2240 public elementary schools	10.1%	461	42.0	34.0	51.0				48.0	47.0	53.0				45.0				$9,948	$2,099	$7,849
Lena Vista Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	925 Berkley Rd	Auburndale	33823	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5464	963	56	17.1	74.4%	349 (36.2%)	204 (21.2%)	378 (39.3%)	6 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	23 (2.4%)	17.8	1963^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	13.0%		23.2	1794^th of 2240 public elementary schools	19.9%	169	37.0	36.0	40.0				41.0	37.0	33.0				34.0				$8,914	$1,526	$7,387
Inwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 Avenue G NW	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5369	393	14	28.0	81.4%	58 (14.8%)	199 (50.6%)	114 (29.0%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.6%)	14.9	2035^th of 2256 public elementary schools	9.8%		29.6	1622^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	27.6%	413	24.0	33.0	32.0				32.0	35.0	38.0				45.0				$12,064	$2,143	$9,921
Winter Haven Head Start	Public	PK	135 Avenue Y NE	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 298-5631	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lake Alfred Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 Cummings St E	Lake Alfred	33850	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 295-5985	880	50	17.6	67.6%	190 (21.6%)	230 (26.1%)	404 (45.9%)	13 (1.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.5%)	38.8	1374^th of 2256 public elementary schools	39.1%		39.8	1342^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	40.1%	32	45.0	38.0	56.0				49.0	45.0	60.0				52.0				$8,911	$1,402	$7,509
Clarence Boswell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2820 K Ville Ave	Auburndale	33823	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2990	619	37	16.7	78.8%	247 (39.9%)	104 (16.8%)	245 (39.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)	33.2	1534^th of 2256 public elementary schools	32.0%		28.5	1649^th of 2240 public elementary schools	26.4%	115	46.0	40.0	41.0				54.0	63.0	44.0				29.0				$9,827	$1,560	$8,268
Jewett School Of The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	2250 8th St NE	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 291-5373	737	46	16.0	60.5%	183 (24.8%)	343 (46.5%)	172 (23.3%)	10 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.9%)	39.9	1347^th of 2256 public elementary schools	40.3%		30	1610^th of 2240 public elementary schools	28.1%	263	51.0	48.0	52.0	57.0	46.0	48.0	51.0	34.0	39.0	59.0	26.0	43.0	51.0	31.0	75.0	73.0	$11,006	$1,267	$9,740

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter Caldwell Elementary School

How many students attend Walter Caldwell Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 895 students attended Walter Caldwell Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Walter Caldwell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Walter Caldwell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jere L. Stambaugh Middle
High : Auburndale Senior High School

What district is Walter Caldwell Elementary School in?

Polk

What is the racial makeup of Walter Caldwell Elementary School?

Students at Walter Caldwell Elementary School are 36% Hispanic, 32% White, 27% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Walter Caldwell Elementary School a good school?

Walter Caldwell Elementary School ranks 1298^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Walter Caldwell Elementary 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.