Bartow Elementary Academy

Q: Is Bartow Elementary Academy a good school?

Bartow Elementary Academy ranks 568 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bartow Elementary Academy is a public elementary school in Bartow, Florida, serving 518 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 57th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bartow Elementary Academy consistently outperforms the Polk District and the state of Florida in academic assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, 75% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 49% in the district and 55% statewide. The school also has a more diverse student population than nearby schools like James E. Stephens Elementary and Eagle Lake Elementary. However, Bartow Elementary Academy has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.5% in 2019-2020 to 18.3% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average.

While Bartow Elementary Academy has a strong history of high rankings, its ranking has declined in recent years, dropping from a 5-star rating in 2017-2018 to a 3-star rating in 2022-2023. This is an area of concern, as the school faces competition from higher-performing schools like Valleyview Elementary and Mi Escuela Montessori. The school's relatively high per-student spending of $12,119 in 2022-2023 suggests it has access to more resources, but the increase in chronic absenteeism and declining ranking indicate areas for improvement.

Detail:

Public, Magnet K-5

590 Wilson Ave S
Bartow, FL 33830

(863) 534-7410

District: Polk

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,119

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 531

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.7%

African American:

20.3%

Hispanic:

20.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Bartow Elementary Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bartow Elementary Academy ranks better than 74.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 13^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.18. (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 Bartow Elementary Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (50.7%), African American (20.3%), Hispanic (20.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bartow Elementary Academy is 14.7, which is the 20^th best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Bartow Elementary Academy employs 36 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bartow Elementary Academy is $12,119, which is the 8^th highest among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bartow Elementary Academy 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 Bartow Elementary Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	94.39	53^rd	1688	96.9%
2007	93.32	42^nd	1786	97.6%
2008	94.53	24^th	1789	98.7%
2009	92.23	55^th	1847	97.0%
2010	94.17	31^st	1919	98.4%
2011	93.37	38^th	1985	98.1%
2012	91.97	99^th	1984	95.0%
2013	94.33	49^th	2029	97.6%
2014	86.75	222^nd	2064	89.2%
2016	94.79	53^rd	2087	97.5%
2017	92.65	84^th	2112	96.0%
2018	93.17	73^rd	2118	96.6%
2019	89.23	175^th	2182	92.0%
2021	74.04	556^th	2247	75.3%
2022	72.67	576^th	2219	74.0%
2023	62.77	779^th	2240	65.2%
2024	73.18	568^th	2256	74.8%

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

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Bartow Elementary Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	256	139	1	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	417
1989	238	159	0	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	409
1990	234	188	0	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	434
1991	193	168	0	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	378
1992	200	162	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	380
1993	148	142	0	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	304
1994	221	114	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	344
1995	229	125	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	365
1996	229	125	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	365
1997	227	124	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	360
1998	242	116	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	366
1999	238	120	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	366
2000	240	121	2	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	373
2001	245	125	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
2002	247	121	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2003	247	121	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2004	261	113	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	384
2005	257	109	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	383
2006	280	116	3	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	417
2007	259	101	4	20	0	n/a	n/a	20	404
2008	271	103	5	29	0	n/a	n/a	23	431
2009	267	98	4	35	0	n/a	n/a	24	428
2010	283	78	5	38	0	n/a	n/a	24	428
2011	283	58	5	55	2	0	25	0	428
2012	288	60	4	53	3	0	20	0	428
2013	308	69	8	58	1	0	20	0	464
2014	294	74	10	69	1	0	16	0	464
2015	290	77	13	72	1	0	11	0	464
2016	286	76	12	77	1	1	10	0	463
2017	288	78	8	75	1	1	11	0	462
2018	287	77	8	80	0	1	11	0	464
2019	297	81	7	83	0	0	12	0	480
2020	295	101	7	88	1	0	15	0	507
2021	286	111	10	98	1	0	22	0	528
2022	281	101	13	91	0	1	25	0	512
2023	274	106	11	97	0	1	29	0	518
2024	269	108	12	108	0	1	33	0	531

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 Bartow Elementary Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	417	23.0	18.1	50.1
1989	409	25.0	16.3	54.8
1990	434	26.0	16.6	18.4
1991	378	25.0	15.1	65.6
1992	380	25.0	15.2	54.2
1993	304	23.0	13.2	67.8
1994	344	22.0	15.6	29.9
1995	365	21.0	17.4	22.7
1996	365	21.0	17.4	22.7
1997	360	22.0	16.4	19.2
1998	366	22.0	16.6	19.7
1999	366	22.0	16.6	33.1
2000	373	22.0	17.0	30.8
2001	378	21.0	18.0	26.7
2002	381	22.0	17.3	28.9
2003	381	22.0	17.3	28.9
2004	384	24.0	16.0	26.8
2005	383	27.0	14.2	29
2006	417	30.0	13.9	30
2007	404	28.0	14.4	29.7
2008	431	29.5	14.6	31.9
2009	428	32.9	15.3	31.9
2010	428	29.0	14.7	35.6
2011	428	28.0	15.2	30.1
2012	428	28.0	15.2	30.8
2013	464	30.0	15.4	33
2014	464	31.0	14.9	32.3
2015	464	29.0	16.0	33.8
2016	463	29.0	15.9	35.4
2017	462	30.0	15.4	32.7
2018	464	32.0	14.5	29.7
2019	480	30.0	16.0	27.5
2020	507	32.0	15.8	27.8
2021	528	32.0	16.5	32.2
2022	512	34.0	15.0	31.1
2023	518	34.0	15.2	31.1
2024	531	36.0	14.7	48

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 Bartow Elementary Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	417	23.0	18.1	50.1
1989	409	25.0	16.3	54.8
1990	434	26.0	16.6	18.4
1991	378	25.0	15.1	65.6
1992	380	25.0	15.2	54.2
1993	304	23.0	13.2	67.8
1994	344	22.0	15.6	29.9
1995	365	21.0	17.4	22.7
1996	365	21.0	17.4	22.7
1997	360	22.0	16.4	19.2
1998	366	22.0	16.6	19.7
1999	366	22.0	16.6	33.1
2000	373	22.0	17.0	30.8
2001	378	21.0	18.0	26.7
2002	381	22.0	17.3	28.9
2003	381	22.0	17.3	28.9
2004	384	24.0	16.0	26.8
2005	383	27.0	14.2	29
2006	417	30.0	13.9	30
2007	404	28.0	14.4	29.7
2008	431	29.5	14.6	31.9
2009	428	32.9	15.3	31.9
2010	428	29.0	14.7	35.6
2011	428	28.0	15.2	30.1
2012	428	28.0	15.2	30.8
2013	464	30.0	15.4	33
2014	464	31.0	14.9	32.3
2015	464	29.0	16.0	33.8
2016	463	29.0	15.9	35.4
2017	462	30.0	15.4	32.7
2018	464	32.0	14.5	29.7
2019	480	30.0	16.0	27.5
2020	507	32.0	15.8	27.8
2021	528	32.0	16.5	32.2
2022	512	34.0	15.0	31.1
2023	518	34.0	15.2	31.1
2024	531	36.0	14.7	48

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 Bartow Elementary Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$518 (6.2%)	$7,852 (93.8%)	$8,370
2019	$519 (6.1%)	$8,029 (93.9%)	$8,547
2020	$405 (4.9%)	$7,937 (95.1%)	$8,342
2021	$559 (6.7%)	$7,777 (93.3%)	$8,336
2022	$1,660 (17.0%)	$8,102 (83.0%)	$9,761
2023	$1,482 (12.2%)	$10,636 (87.8%)	$12,119

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bartow Elementary Academy

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 175^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 779^th of 2240 Elementary schools	26.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bartow Elementary Academy)	83	61	22%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bartow Elementary Academy)	87	59	28%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bartow Elementary Academy)	77	78	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bartow Elementary Academy)	80	75	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bartow Elementary Academy)	73	80	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bartow Elementary Academy)	83	50	33%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Bartow Elementary Academy)	78	57	21%
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	480	518	7.9%
African American	81	106	30.9%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	7	11	57.1%
Hispanic	83	97	16.9%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	297	274	7.7%
Two or More Races	12	29	141.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	27.5%	31.1%	3.6%

Schools Near Bartow Elementary Academy

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
Bartow Elementary Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	590 Wilson Ave S	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 534-7410	531	36	14.7	48.0%	269 (50.7%)	108 (20.3%)	108 (20.3%)	12 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.2%)	73.2	568^th of 2256 public elementary schools	74.8%		62.8	779^th of 2240 public elementary schools	65.2%	211	75.0	62.0	56.0	70.0	74.0	64.0	58.0	$12,119	$1,482	$10,636
Floral Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1530 Floral Ave S	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 534-7420	629	39	16.1	70.1%	288 (45.8%)	114 (18.1%)	198 (31.5%)	9 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.5%)	38.8	1375^th of 2256 public elementary schools	39.1%		33.8	1498^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.1%	123	40.0	41.0	55.0	32.0	64.0	57.0	49.0	$10,089	$1,763	$8,326
Gibbons Street Pk Center	Public	PK	1860 Gibbons St E	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 535-6489	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
James E. Stephens Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 Maple Ave N	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 534-7455	328	27	12.1	81.4%	59 (18.0%)	145 (44.2%)	106 (32.3%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.4%)	41.2	1309^th of 2256 public elementary schools	42.0%		12.3	2099^th of 2240 public elementary schools	6.3%	790	54.0	22.0	36.0	69.0	59.0	32.0	50.0	$15,850	$3,745	$12,106
Spessard L Holland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2342 Ef Griffin Rd	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3031	769	48	16.0	61.9%	311 (40.4%)	191 (24.8%)	222 (28.9%)	17 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (3.4%)	40.6	1328^th of 2256 public elementary schools	41.1%		36.4	1432^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	36.1%	104	54.0	46.0	50.0	42.0	47.0	59.0	49.0	$10,173	$1,627	$8,547
Highland City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5355 9th Street SE	Highland City	33846	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3540	415	28	14.8	62.7%	208 (50.1%)	47 (11.3%)	126 (30.4%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.5%)	58.8	886^th of 2256 public elementary schools	60.7%		42.1	1285^th of 2240 public elementary schools	42.6%	399	70.0	54.0	48.0	73.0	44.0	63.0	60.0	$12,217	$1,734	$10,483
Valleyview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 State Rd 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3535	817	52	15.7	38.9%	446 (54.6%)	115 (14.1%)	177 (21.7%)	58 (7.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.1%)	84.4	313^th of 2256 public elementary schools	86.1%		83.2	334^th of 2240 public elementary schools	85.1%	21	70.0	71.0	73.0	76.0	76.0	74.0	66.0	$9,589	$1,090	$8,499
Eagle Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Crystal Beach Rd	Eagle Lake	33839	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5357	697	37	18.8	75.3%	231 (33.1%)	144 (20.7%)	283 (40.6%)	5 (0.7%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (4.0%)	9.6	2160^th of 2256 public elementary schools	4.3%		16.5	1997^th of 2240 public elementary schools	10.8%	163	36.0	26.0	34.0	30.0	28.0	23.0	28.0	$9,973	$2,060	$7,912
Scott Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1140 County Road 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3520	777	49	15.8	51.1%	429 (55.2%)	91 (11.7%)	200 (25.7%)	26 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.0%)	68.5	676^th of 2256 public elementary schools	70.0%		62.6	782^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	65.1%	106	65.0	59.0	58.0	76.0	66.0	59.0	55.0	$10,771	$1,706	$9,066
Alturas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	420 4th St	Alturas	33820	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 519-3917	296	19	15.5	78.4%	193 (65.2%)	23 (7.8%)	68 (23.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)	58.2	894^th of 2256 public elementary schools	60.4%		52.3	1037^th of 2240 public elementary schools	53.7%	143	55.0	51.0	58.0	62.0	54.0	56.0	75.0	$10,451	$1,519	$8,931

Frequently Asked Questions about Bartow Elementary Academy

Is Bartow Elementary Academy a good school?

Bartow Elementary Academy ranks 568^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Bartow Elementary Academy?

Students at Bartow Elementary Academy are 51% White, 20% African American, 20% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Bartow Elementary Academy in?

Polk

How many students attend Bartow Elementary Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 531 students attended Bartow Elementary Academy.

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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.