Mulberry Senior High School

Q: Is Mulberry Senior High School a good school?

Mulberry Senior High School ranks 527 th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Mulberry Senior High School is a public high school in Mulberry, Florida, serving 1,315 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Polk District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mulberry Senior High School faces several key challenges. It has a diverse student population with a higher percentage of Hispanic students (50.57%) compared to the state and district averages. The school's four-year graduation rate has declined from 94.7% in 2019-2020 to 86.5% in 2022-2023, which is lower than the state and district averages. Additionally, Mulberry Senior High has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate (46.6% in 2022-2023) compared to the state (22.2% in 2019-2020) and district (30.1% in 2018-2019) averages. The school consistently underperforms the state and district in standardized tests, with proficiency rates in Algebra 1 (22%), Geometry (30%), and 10th grade English Language Arts (41%) being significantly lower than the state and district averages. The school also has a high percentage of students (56.58% in 2022-2023) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Bartow Senior High School and George W. Jenkins Senior High, Mulberry Senior High School generally underperforms in key metrics like test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. Despite these challenges, there is an opportunity for improvement at Mulberry Senior High School by addressing the root causes of its underperformance and providing targeted interventions to support its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 9-12

4th Circle NE
Mulberry, FL 33860

(863) 701-1104

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
527^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,210

Feeder schools for Mulberry Senior High School:

Elementary:	James W. Sikes Elementary School
	Purcell Elementary School
	Willow Oak School
Middle:	Mulberry Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 22.5

Number of students: 1,399

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.0%

White:

37.7%

African American:

10.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.6%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Mulberry Senior High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mulberry Senior High School ranks worse than 65.3% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 9^th among 26 ranked high schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.18. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Mulberry Senior High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 (49%), White (37.7%), African American (10.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mulberry Senior High School is 22.5. 18 high schools in the Polk School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Mulberry Senior High School employs 62 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mulberry Senior High School is $9,210, which is the 13^th highest among 26 high schools in the Polk School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Mulberry Senior High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Mulberry Senior High School 527^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Mulberry Senior High School in the ranking list.)

Polk:

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

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Mulberry Senior High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	37.28	337^th	484	30.4%
2005	36.18	338^th	487	30.6%
2006	36.70	335^th	477	29.8%
2007	40.31	358^th	563	36.4%
2008	36.24	392^nd	577	32.1%
2009	42.89	361^st	587	38.5%
2010	48.63	362^nd	620	41.6%
2011	40.91	413^th	622	33.6%
2012	24.27	449^th	606	25.9%
2013	25.30	490^th	648	24.4%
2014	31.10	475^th	687	30.9%
2016	23.41	510^th	693	26.4%
2017	25.93	485^th	714	32.1%
2018	38.08	391^st	716	45.4%
2019	27.64	505^th	734	31.2%
2021	27.47	494^th	746	33.8%
2022	30.19	498^th	774	35.7%
2023	27.08	534^th	792	32.6%
2024	31.18	527^th	807	34.7%

See the entire list of Florida High 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: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Mulberry Senior High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	582	151	3	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	746
1989	581	138	6	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	734
1990	543	136	4	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	690
1991	658	136	3	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	809
1992	657	124	3	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	796
1993	671	141	6	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	837
1994	589	138	3	26	2	n/a	n/a	0	758
1995	616	136	3	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	785
1996	616	136	3	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	785
1997	634	139	2	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	807
1998	637	133	1	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	808
1999	613	146	2	51	2	n/a	n/a	0	814
2000	603	138	3	53	1	n/a	n/a	0	798
2001	633	149	2	66	2	n/a	n/a	0	852
2002	672	140	1	81	1	n/a	n/a	0	895
2003	672	140	1	81	1	n/a	n/a	0	895
2004	677	136	2	106	2	n/a	n/a	0	923
2005	682	138	3	115	2	n/a	n/a	0	940
2006	726	144	4	136	2	n/a	n/a	0	1012
2007	695	133	5	181	2	n/a	n/a	11	1027
2008	687	134	1	184	0	n/a	n/a	20	1026
2009	620	126	3	190	2	n/a	n/a	23	964
2010	589	124	4	241	0	n/a	n/a	35	993
2011	576	120	6	302	7	1	29	0	1041
2012	560	124	6	312	4	0	30	0	1036
2013	548	122	7	344	1	0	27	0	1049
2014	527	108	7	326	4	0	29	0	1001
2015	524	134	8	352	7	1	30	0	1056
2016	510	131	6	386	8	1	34	0	1076
2017	512	132	4	394	9	0	35	0	1086
2018	502	132	11	436	8	0	38	0	1127
2019	536	127	11	477	5	0	36	0	1192
2020	529	117	13	560	6	0	32	0	1257
2021	495	103	16	581	5	0	28	0	1228
2022	452	125	10	599	4	0	24	0	1214
2023	480	127	11	665	4	0	28	0	1315
2024	527	143	9	685	5	0	30	0	1399

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 Mulberry Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	746	48.0	15.5	14.5
1989	734	51.0	14.3	11.3
1990	690	53.0	13.0	0
1991	809	52.0	15.5	14.5
1992	796	52.0	15.3	10.4
1993	837	50.0	16.7	13.6
1994	758	46.0	16.5	18.9
1995	785	50.0	15.7	19.5
1996	785	50.0	15.7	19.5
1997	807	49.0	16.5	21.2
1998	808	50.0	16.2	21.4
1999	814	51.0	16.0	29.5
2000	798	53.0	15.1	29.9
2001	852	52.0	16.4	30.3
2002	895	50.0	17.9	36.6
2003	895	50.0	17.9	36.6
2004	923	50.0	18.5	39
2005	940	55.0	17.1	38.7
2006	1012	57.0	17.8	45.3
2007	1027	68.0	15.1	49.7
2008	1026	68.0	15.1	51.3
2009	964	71.7	15.8	48.2
2010	993	58.5	16.9	60.6
2011	1041	66.0	15.7	61.6
2012	1036	64.0	16.1	65.3
2013	1049	65.0	16.1	65.7
2014	1001	58.0	17.2	61.6
2015	1056	58.0	18.2	65.2
2016	1076	61.0	17.6	45.7
2017	1086	61.0	17.8	45
2018	1127	63.0	17.8	44.7
2019	1192	62.0	19.2	47.7
2020	1257	61.0	20.6	44.6
2021	1228	61.0	20.1	52.5
2022	1214	64.0	18.9	55.9
2023	1315	62.0	21.2	56.6
2024	1399	62.0	22.5	66.6

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 Mulberry Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	746	48.0	15.5	14.5
1989	734	51.0	14.3	11.3
1990	690	53.0	13.0	0
1991	809	52.0	15.5	14.5
1992	796	52.0	15.3	10.4
1993	837	50.0	16.7	13.6
1994	758	46.0	16.5	18.9
1995	785	50.0	15.7	19.5
1996	785	50.0	15.7	19.5
1997	807	49.0	16.5	21.2
1998	808	50.0	16.2	21.4
1999	814	51.0	16.0	29.5
2000	798	53.0	15.1	29.9
2001	852	52.0	16.4	30.3
2002	895	50.0	17.9	36.6
2003	895	50.0	17.9	36.6
2004	923	50.0	18.5	39
2005	940	55.0	17.1	38.7
2006	1012	57.0	17.8	45.3
2007	1027	68.0	15.1	49.7
2008	1026	68.0	15.1	51.3
2009	964	71.7	15.8	48.2
2010	993	58.5	16.9	60.6
2011	1041	66.0	15.7	61.6
2012	1036	64.0	16.1	65.3
2013	1049	65.0	16.1	65.7
2014	1001	58.0	17.2	61.6
2015	1056	58.0	18.2	65.2
2016	1076	61.0	17.6	45.7
2017	1086	61.0	17.8	45
2018	1127	63.0	17.8	44.7
2019	1192	62.0	19.2	47.7
2020	1257	61.0	20.6	44.6
2021	1228	61.0	20.1	52.5
2022	1214	64.0	18.9	55.9
2023	1315	62.0	21.2	56.6
2024	1399	62.0	22.5	66.6

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 Mulberry Senior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$891 (11.1%)	$7,140 (88.9%)	$8,031
2019	$1,197 (15.1%)	$6,752 (84.9%)	$7,949
2020	$708 (9.1%)	$7,112 (90.9%)	$7,821
2021	$1,008 (12.7%)	$6,942 (87.3%)	$7,951
2022	$1,787 (20.2%)	$7,040 (79.8%)	$8,826
2023	$1,456 (15.8%)	$7,755 (84.2%)	$9,210

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mulberry Senior High 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 505^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 534^th of 792 High schools	1.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Mulberry Senior High School)	43	36	7%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	45	44	1%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Mulberry Senior High School)	30	36	6%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	42	38	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Mulberry Senior High School)	54	51	3%
End of Course Biology 1 (Polk)	54	50	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Mulberry Senior High School)	54	56	2%
End of Course US History (Polk)	58	50	8%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Mulberry Senior High School)	37	24	13%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Polk)	51	41	10%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Mulberry Senior High School)	44	21	23%
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	1192	1315	10.3%
African American	127	127
American Indian	5	4	20%
Asian	11	11
Hispanic	477	665	39.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	536	480	10.4%
Two or More Races	36	28	22.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	47.7%	56.6%	8.9%

Schools Near Mulberry Senior High 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 Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (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 English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th 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 Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mulberry Senior High School	Public	9-12	4th Circle NE	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1104	1,399	62	22.5	66.6%	527 (37.7%)	143 (10.2%)	685 (49.0%)	9 (0.6%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (2.1%)	31.2	527^th of 807 public high schools	34.7%		27.1	534^th of 792 public high schools	32.6%	7				41.0	41.0				22.0	30.0	55.0	64.0		$9,210	$1,456	$7,755
George W. Jenkins Senior High	Public	9-12	6000 Lakeland Highlands Rd	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3566	2,517	112	22.4	45.6%	1,188 (47.2%)	396 (15.7%)	755 (30.0%)	81 (3.2%)	6 (0.2%)	6 (0.2%)	85 (3.4%)	49.2	313^th of 807 public high schools	61.2%		39.4	396^th of 792 public high schools	50.0%	83				55.0	55.0				36.0	43.0	68.0	71.0		$8,154	$1,091	$7,063
Gause Academy Of Leadership	Public	6-12	1395 Polk St W	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 534-7425	82	16	5.1	89.0%	19 (23.2%)	30 (36.6%)	31 (37.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)	13.1	663^rd of 807 public high schools	17.8%		7.2	681^st of 792 public high schools	14.0%	18		33.0	7.0	47.0	20.0	20.0	13.0	11.0	16.0	0.0	18.0		41.0	$28,604	$3,434	$25,169
Bartow Senior High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1270 Broadway Ave S	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 534-7400	2,243	103	21.7	56.2%	951 (42.4%)	447 (19.9%)	685 (30.5%)	97 (4.3%)	3 (0.1%)	5 (0.2%)	55 (2.5%)	37.2	450^th of 807 public high schools	44.2%		39.4	395^th of 792 public high schools	50.1%	55				49.0	47.0				22.0	32.0	60.0	63.0		$9,707	$1,198	$8,508
Polk State College Collegiate High School	Public, Charter	11-12	3425 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 669-2322	334	5	66.8		204 (61.1%)	26 (7.8%)	73 (21.9%)	18 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.6%)								(n/a)														$7,309	$341	$6,968
Polk State Lakeland Gateway To College Collegiate High School	Public, Charter	11-12	3425 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 669-2322	254	7	36.2		73 (28.7%)	96 (37.8%)	69 (27.2%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.7%)	9.8	673^rd of 807 public high schools	16.6%					(n/a)										29.0		28.0		$8,867	$2,094	$6,774
Bill Duncan Opportunity Center	Public	6-12	3333 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 499-2860	85	10	8.5	74.1%	32 (37.6%)	37 (43.5%)	12 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)	7.1	695^th of 807 public high schools	13.9%		9.8	662^nd of 792 public high schools	16.4%	33	10.0	0.0	19.0	4.0	23.0	0.0	17.0	13.0	20.0	30.0	18.0
Maynard A Traviss Technical Academy	Public	6-12	3225 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2700	110	8	13.7	64.5%	49 (44.5%)	16 (14.5%)	39 (35.5%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	15.3	660^th of 807 public high schools	18.2%		15	641^st of 792 public high schools	19.1%	19										21.0		41.0		$11,249	$1,510	$9,740
Transition School	Public	12	1860 Gibbons St E	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 519-8169	41	0		31.7%	15 (36.6%)	8 (19.5%)	17 (41.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.4%)								(n/a)
Polk Halfway House	Public	5-12	2145 Bob Phillips Rd	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 519-3611	24	2	12.0	12.5%	8 (33.3%)	12 (50.0%)	4 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Mulberry Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Mulberry Senior High School?

Students at Mulberry Senior High School are 49% Hispanic, 38% White, 10% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Mulberry Senior High School a good school?

Mulberry Senior High School ranks 527^th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mulberry Senior High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,399 students attended Mulberry Senior High School.

What schools feed into Mulberry Senior High School?

Mulberry Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : James W. Sikes Elementary School
Elementary : Purcell Elementary School
Elementary : Willow Oak School
Middle : Mulberry Middle School

What district is Mulberry Senior High School in?

Polk

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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.