Kathleen Elementary School

Summary:

Kathleen Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lakeland, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 489. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past several years, Kathleen Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Florida elementary schools, also receiving a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kathleen Elementary stands out for several key metrics. It has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, with 49.0% of students chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the Polk district rate of 12.7% and the state average of 14.4%. The school's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is consistently lower than the Polk district and Florida state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate was 38%, compared to the Polk district rate of 48% and the state average of 53%. Additionally, Kathleen Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 62.78%, compared to the Polk district average of 45.21%.

When comparing Kathleen Elementary to nearby schools in the Polk district, it becomes clear that the school is an outlier in terms of academic performance and other key metrics. For instance, Lincoln Avenue Academy, located just 5.53 miles away, is a high-performing school, ranking in the top 3% of Florida elementary schools and significantly outperforming Kathleen Elementary on test scores and other measures. The high chronic absenteeism rate at Kathleen Elementary appears to be a significant factor contributing to the school's low academic performance, and the high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income population, raising questions about the effective allocation of resources and the need for targeted interventions.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3515 Sheretz Rd
Lakeland, FL 33810

(863) 853-6030

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1763^rd of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,034

Students who attend Kathleen Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kathleen Middle School
High:	Kathleen Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 489

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.6%

Hispanic:

33.9%

African American:

19.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 62.8%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Kathleen Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kathleen Elementary School ranks worse than 78.1% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 64^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.1. (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 Kathleen Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (44.6%), Hispanic (33.9%), African American (19.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 62.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kathleen Elementary School is 14.8, which is the 20^th best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Kathleen Elementary School employs 33 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kathleen Elementary School is $12,034, which is the 10^th highest among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Kathleen 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 Kathleen Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	53.62	804^th	1688	52.4%
2007	48.33	982^nd	1786	45.0%
2008	30.32	1338^th	1789	25.2%
2009	39.59	1208^th	1847	34.6%
2010	27.14	1494^th	1919	22.1%
2011	25.90	1565^th	1985	21.2%
2012	27.35	1510^th	1984	23.9%
2013	21.65	1689^th	2029	16.8%
2014	16.53	1827^th	2064	11.5%
2016	18.18	1782^nd	2087	14.6%
2017	21.80	1735^th	2112	17.9%
2018	23.03	1707^th	2118	19.4%
2019	26.63	1671^st	2182	23.4%
2021	23.18	1741^st	2247	22.5%
2022	15.47	1988^th	2219	10.4%
2023	19.67	1906^th	2240	14.9%
2024	25.10	1763^rd	2256	21.9%

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 Kathleen Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	672	19	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	698
1989	760	15	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	783
1990	809	14	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	839
1991	862	14	2	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	894
1992	794	10	0	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	824
1993	560	55	0	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	637
1994	548	61	0	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	638
1995	588	77	1	38	1	n/a	n/a	0	705
1996	588	77	1	38	1	n/a	n/a	0	705
1997	555	73	3	45	2	n/a	n/a	0	678
1998	532	75	3	45	2	n/a	n/a	0	657
1999	548	89	2	40	2	n/a	n/a	0	681
2000	578	91	4	59	4	n/a	n/a	0	736
2001	567	90	4	54	4	n/a	n/a	0	719
2002	395	85	2	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	562
2003	395	85	2	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	562
2004	385	92	1	70	0	n/a	n/a	0	548
2005	384	108	1	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	581
2006	388	97	0	104	0	n/a	n/a	0	589
2007	362	97	4	108	0	n/a	n/a	12	583
2008	334	104	3	102	0	n/a	n/a	13	556
2009	312	88	4	102	1	n/a	n/a	19	526
2010	324	101	5	91	0	n/a	n/a	21	542
2011	320	76	1	99	3	0	29	0	528
2012	313	104	1	89	1	0	26	0	534
2013	291	108	0	104	0	0	21	0	524
2014	274	94	6	105	0	0	20	0	499
2015	312	105	0	114	0	0	24	0	555
2016	285	122	8	124	1	0	19	0	559
2017	290	125	3	134	0	0	22	0	574
2018	273	102	1	146	1	0	23	0	546
2019	267	95	0	155	1	0	18	0	536
2020	276	106	1	169	2	0	19	0	573
2021	222	71	1	136	0	1	15	0	446
2022	257	83	0	137	0	1	8	0	486
2023	218	94	0	166	0	0	11	0	489

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 Kathleen Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	698	35.0	19.9	30.1
1989	783	40.0	19.5	30.5
1990	839	45.0	18.6	9.5
1991	894	44.0	20.3	30.1
1992	824	42.0	19.6	26
1993	637	34.0	18.7	33.4
1994	638	32.0	19.9	34.2
1995	705	34.0	20.7	38.2
1996	705	34.0	20.7	38.2
1997	678	34.0	19.9	39.5
1998	657	31.0	21.2	42.6
1999	681	34.0	20.0	61.2
2000	736	31.0	23.7	57.2
2001	719	37.0	19.4	58.3
2002	562	34.0	16.5	64.8
2003	562	34.0	16.5	64.8
2004	548	35.0	15.7	68.6
2005	581	41.0	14.2	67.6
2006	589	42.0	14.0	71.3
2007	583	43.0	13.6	73.6
2008	556	42.0	13.2	75.1
2009	526	47.6	13.0	77.9
2010	542	39.5	13.7	83.1
2011	528	38.0	13.8	80.1
2012	534	36.0	14.8	81.3
2013	524	36.0	14.5	81.5
2014	499	31.0	16.0	80.6
2015	555	32.0	17.3	66.3
2016	559	33.0	16.9	70.5
2017	574	33.0	17.3	66.7
2018	546	36.0	15.1	65.8
2019	536	36.0	14.8	66.8
2020	573	35.0	16.3	59.5
2021	446	33.0	13.5	71.5
2022	486	34.0	14.2	74.3
2023	489	33.0	14.8	62.8

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 Kathleen Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	698	35.0	19.9	30.1
1989	783	40.0	19.5	30.5
1990	839	45.0	18.6	9.5
1991	894	44.0	20.3	30.1
1992	824	42.0	19.6	26
1993	637	34.0	18.7	33.4
1994	638	32.0	19.9	34.2
1995	705	34.0	20.7	38.2
1996	705	34.0	20.7	38.2
1997	678	34.0	19.9	39.5
1998	657	31.0	21.2	42.6
1999	681	34.0	20.0	61.2
2000	736	31.0	23.7	57.2
2001	719	37.0	19.4	58.3
2002	562	34.0	16.5	64.8
2003	562	34.0	16.5	64.8
2004	548	35.0	15.7	68.6
2005	581	41.0	14.2	67.6
2006	589	42.0	14.0	71.3
2007	583	43.0	13.6	73.6
2008	556	42.0	13.2	75.1
2009	526	47.6	13.0	77.9
2010	542	39.5	13.7	83.1
2011	528	38.0	13.8	80.1
2012	534	36.0	14.8	81.3
2013	524	36.0	14.5	81.5
2014	499	31.0	16.0	80.6
2015	555	32.0	17.3	66.3
2016	559	33.0	16.9	70.5
2017	574	33.0	17.3	66.7
2018	546	36.0	15.1	65.8
2019	536	36.0	14.8	66.8
2020	573	35.0	16.3	59.5
2021	446	33.0	13.5	71.5
2022	486	34.0	14.2	74.3
2023	489	33.0	14.8	62.8

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 Kathleen Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,314 (15.7%)	$7,076 (84.3%)	$8,390
2019	$1,525 (16.4%)	$7,771 (83.6%)	$9,296
2020	$888 (10.8%)	$7,311 (89.2%)	$8,198
2021	$1,370 (13.6%)	$8,705 (86.4%)	$10,075
2022	$2,578 (23.6%)	$8,339 (76.4%)	$10,916
2023	$2,477 (20.6%)	$9,558 (79.4%)	$12,034

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kathleen 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 1671^st of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1906^th of 2240 Elementary schools	8.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Elementary School)	39	41	2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kathleen Elementary School)	49	36	13%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Elementary School)	31	32	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kathleen Elementary School)	40	28	12%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Elementary School)	51	35	16%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kathleen Elementary School)	52	23	29%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Kathleen Elementary School)	51	35	16%
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	536	489	8.8%
African American	95	94	1.1%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	155	166	7.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	267	218	18.4%
Two or More Races	18	11	38.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.8%	62.8%	4%

Schools Near Kathleen 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)	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
Kathleen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3515 Sheretz Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6030	489	33	14.8	62.8%	218 (44.6%)	94 (19.2%)	166 (33.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.2%)	25.1	1763^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	21.9%		19.7	1906^th of 2240 public elementary schools	14.9%	143	45.0	35.0	38.0	50.0	37.0	46.0	38.0	$12,034	$2,477	$9,558
Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6600 Green Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 815-6633	691	43	16.0	53.7%	303 (43.8%)	128 (18.5%)	237 (34.3%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.3%)	34.5	1502^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	33.4%		32.5	1541^st of 2240 public elementary schools	31.2%	39	48.0	46.0	42.0	58.0	49.0	32.0	44.0	$10,915	$2,038	$8,877
R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8201 Park Byrd Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6011	708	43	16.4	52.7%	292 (41.2%)	102 (14.4%)	277 (39.1%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	23 (3.2%)	27.1	1707^th of 2256 public elementary schools	24.3%		26.3	1708^th of 2240 public elementary schools	23.8%	1	64.0	26.0	41.0	59.0	30.0	33.0	32.0	$10,095	$1,596	$8,499
Sleepy Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2285 Sleepy Hill Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 815-6768	739	51	14.4	66.2%	205 (27.7%)	175 (23.7%)	332 (44.9%)	10 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.3%)	35.2	1485^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.2%		46.9	1163^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	48.1%	322	44.0	33.0	50.0	45.0	39.0	62.0	57.0	$11,167	$1,993	$9,173
Socrum Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9400 Old Dade City Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6050	546	34	16.0	64.8%	258 (47.3%)	114 (20.9%)	153 (28.0%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.4%)	29.6	1634^th of 2256 public elementary schools	27.6%		26.6	1695^th of 2240 public elementary schools	24.3%	61	38.0	36.0	55.0	34.0	50.0	42.0	53.0	$11,204	$1,986	$9,218
Griffin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3315 Kathleen Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6020	379	23	16.4	64.9%	95 (25.1%)	126 (33.2%)	142 (37.5%)	7 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	29	1649^th of 2256 public elementary schools	26.9%		20	1894^th of 2240 public elementary schools	15.4%	245	37.0	33.0	41.0	46.0	37.0	50.0	61.0	$11,521	$2,345	$9,177
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	110 Leelon Rd	Lakeland	33809	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6044	529	32	16.5	57.3%	195 (36.9%)	125 (23.6%)	188 (35.5%)	8 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.3%)	32.9	1538^th of 2256 public elementary schools	31.8%		28.9	1640^th of 2240 public elementary schools	26.8%	102	42.0	33.0	41.0	46.0	55.0	58.0	44.0	$10,445	$1,843	$8,602
North Lakeland Elementary School Of Choice	Public	PK, KG-5	410 Robson St W	Lakeland	33805	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2850	644	46	14.0	60.9%	159 (24.7%)	193 (30.0%)	273 (42.4%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.2%)	13.2	2081^st of 2256 public elementary schools	7.8%		12.8	2087^th of 2240 public elementary schools	6.8%	6	34.0	32.0	30.0	36.0	40.0	30.0	28.0	$11,099	$1,987	$9,111
Winston Academy Of Engineering	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3415 Swindell Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 499-2890	506	27	18.7	38.1%	200 (39.5%)	124 (24.5%)	140 (27.7%)	24 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.6%)	78.7	442^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	80.4%		75.6	495^th of 2240 public elementary schools	77.9%	53	75.0	62.0	68.0	78.0	62.0	66.0	71.0	$9,858	$1,339	$8,519
Lincoln Avenue Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	1330 Lincoln Ave N	Lakeland	33805	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 499-2955	526	34	15.4	23.6%	225 (42.8%)	137 (26.0%)	103 (19.6%)	29 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.9%)	94.9	54^th of 2256 public elementary schools	97.6%		94.4	54^th of 2240 public elementary schools	97.6%		93.0	78.0	76.0	95.0	90.0	79.0	82.0	$10,095	$1,094	$9,001

Frequently Asked Questions about Kathleen Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Kathleen Elementary School?

Students at Kathleen Elementary School are 45% White, 34% Hispanic, 19% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Kathleen Elementary School in?

Polk

Is Kathleen Elementary School a good school?

Kathleen Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.9% of Florida elementary schools.

How many students attend Kathleen Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 489 students attended Kathleen Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Kathleen Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kathleen Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kathleen Middle School
High : Kathleen Senior High 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.