Spook Hill Elementary School

Q: Is Spook Hill Elementary School a good school?

Spook Hill Elementary School ranks 1683 rd of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Spook Hill Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Lake Wales, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 584. The school is part of the Polk County School District, which is ranked 57th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Spook Hill Elementary School faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, well below average standardized test scores, and a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Florida elementary schools, with a 1- or 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. When compared to nearby schools like Dundee Elementary Academy and Dale R Fair Babson Park Elementary, Spook Hill Elementary School is clearly underperforming, despite increased spending per student over the past few years.

The high rates of economic disadvantage and chronic absenteeism at Spook Hill Elementary School may be contributing factors to its underperformance, and further investigation into the root causes of these issues could help inform strategies for improvement. While the school's racial demographics have remained relatively stable, the performance does not appear to be strongly correlated with its racial makeup, as nearby schools with similar or even more diverse student populations are outperforming Spook Hill Elementary School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

321 Dr Ja Wiltshire Ave E
Lake Wales, FL 33853

(863) 678-4262

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1683^rd of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,767

Students who attend Spook Hill Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

McLaughlin Academy Of Excellence

Student/teacher ratio: 16.6

Number of students: 584

Racial breakdown:

White:

36.3%

Hispanic:

33.0%

African American:

26.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.3%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Spook Hill Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Spook Hill Elementary School ranks worse than 74.6% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 56^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Spook Hill Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (36.3%), Hispanic (33%), African American (26.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 67.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spook Hill Elementary School is 16.6. 48 elementary schools in the Polk School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Spook Hill Elementary School employs 35 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spook Hill Elementary School is $11,767, which is the 15^th highest among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Spook Hill 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Spook Hill Elementary School.

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Rank History for Spook Hill Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	45.16	967^th	1688	42.7%
2007	35.85	1209^th	1786	32.3%
2008	34.47	1253^rd	1789	30.0%
2009	36.66	1262^nd	1847	31.7%
2010	37.27	1287^th	1919	32.9%
2011	43.19	1200^th	1985	39.5%
2012	35.35	1311^th	1984	33.9%
2013	33.04	1402^nd	2029	30.9%
2014	35.90	1360^th	2064	34.1%
2016	33.95	1402^nd	2087	32.8%
2017	20.39	1770^th	2112	16.2%
2018	19.41	1798^th	2118	15.1%
2019	11.42	2026^th	2182	7.1%
2021	20.33	1828^th	2247	18.6%
2022	9.79	2102^nd	2219	5.3%
2023	17.12	1978^th	2240	11.7%
2024	28.00	1683^rd	2256	25.4%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Office staff is really not that Friendly. This is my daughters first year there, this is her first year period. When asking questions to a front office staff member of 5 plus years she walked away from me and went to her desk. My daughters teacher so far seems great. My daughter seems to enjoy going and has already started reading! It really takes Parents and Teachers to ensure a childs education. We practice sight words, and vocab words every day of the week except Sat. That and with the help of the Teacher a child can be golden! Regardless of what kind of ranking a school gets. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Spook Hill Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	314	133	8	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	465
1989	352	145	6	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	517
1990	354	128	4	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	493
1991	340	125	4	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
1992	366	132	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	516
1993	352	147	6	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	522
1994	348	201	3	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	568
1995	377	228	2	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	617
1996	377	228	2	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	617
1997	379	204	0	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	594
1998	411	206	1	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	634
1999	410	226	1	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	656
2000	388	210	3	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	632
2001	375	208	6	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	623
2002	394	249	6	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	698
2003	394	249	6	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	698
2004	293	182	4	50	1	n/a	n/a	0	530
2005	249	146	4	40	2	n/a	n/a	0	441
2006	241	125	8	37	2	n/a	n/a	0	413
2007	253	136	7	47	3	n/a	n/a	14	460
2008	261	130	7	68	4	n/a	n/a	22	492
2009	275	151	5	91	1	n/a	n/a	28	551
2010	308	144	4	97	1	n/a	n/a	20	574
2011	279	142	3	124	3	0	25	0	576
2012	269	165	3	113	3	1	25	0	579
2013	259	198	4	119	1	0	26	0	607
2014	266	191	3	148	2	0	16	0	626
2015	266	174	6	163	1	0	19	0	629
2016	273	168	6	176	1	0	18	0	642
2017	269	184	6	203	1	0	20	0	683
2018	247	183	10	193	1	0	16	0	650
2019	225	194	9	203	1	0	14	0	646
2020	251	177	8	192	3	1	13	0	645
2021	197	137	5	168	1	1	15	0	524
2022	220	156	2	204	0	1	22	0	605
2023	212	157	2	193	1	1	18	0	584

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 Spook Hill Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	465	30.0	15.5	42.6
1989	517	32.0	16.1	40
1990	493	29.0	17.0	16.2
1991	485	29.0	16.7	46.8
1992	516	27.0	19.1	44
1993	522	27.0	19.3	37.7
1994	568	30.0	18.9	48.1
1995	617	29.0	21.3	51.2
1996	617	29.0	21.3	51.2
1997	594	32.0	18.6	45.8
1998	634	31.0	20.5	48.1
1999	656	32.0	20.5	59.3
2000	632	31.0	20.4	60.9
2001	623	36.0	17.3	60
2002	698	38.0	18.4	63.8
2003	698	38.0	18.4	63.8
2004	530	38.0	13.9	66.8
2005	441	38.0	11.6	54.2
2006	413	34.0	12.1	61
2007	460	38.0	12.1	67.9
2008	492	36.0	13.7	72.3
2009	551	43.5	14.9	71.5
2010	574	38.0	15.1	78.7
2011	576	40.0	14.4	77.8
2012	579	38.0	15.2	80.3
2013	607	40.0	15.1	81.9
2014	626	41.0	15.2	64.2
2015	629	43.0	14.6	70.4
2016	642	42.0	15.2	77.1
2017	683	41.0	16.6	78.2
2018	650	47.0	13.8	72.2
2019	646	39.0	16.5	72.9
2020	645	40.0	16.1	63.7
2021	524	37.0	14.1	76.9
2022	605	36.0	16.8	79.2
2023	584	35.0	16.6	67.3

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 Spook Hill Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	465	30.0	15.5	42.6
1989	517	32.0	16.1	40
1990	493	29.0	17.0	16.2
1991	485	29.0	16.7	46.8
1992	516	27.0	19.1	44
1993	522	27.0	19.3	37.7
1994	568	30.0	18.9	48.1
1995	617	29.0	21.3	51.2
1996	617	29.0	21.3	51.2
1997	594	32.0	18.6	45.8
1998	634	31.0	20.5	48.1
1999	656	32.0	20.5	59.3
2000	632	31.0	20.4	60.9
2001	623	36.0	17.3	60
2002	698	38.0	18.4	63.8
2003	698	38.0	18.4	63.8
2004	530	38.0	13.9	66.8
2005	441	38.0	11.6	54.2
2006	413	34.0	12.1	61
2007	460	38.0	12.1	67.9
2008	492	36.0	13.7	72.3
2009	551	43.5	14.9	71.5
2010	574	38.0	15.1	78.7
2011	576	40.0	14.4	77.8
2012	579	38.0	15.2	80.3
2013	607	40.0	15.1	81.9
2014	626	41.0	15.2	64.2
2015	629	43.0	14.6	70.4
2016	642	42.0	15.2	77.1
2017	683	41.0	16.6	78.2
2018	650	47.0	13.8	72.2
2019	646	39.0	16.5	72.9
2020	645	40.0	16.1	63.7
2021	524	37.0	14.1	76.9
2022	605	36.0	16.8	79.2
2023	584	35.0	16.6	67.3

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 Spook Hill Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,505 (15.8%)	$8,000 (84.2%)	$9,505
2019	$1,349 (14.6%)	$7,860 (85.3%)	$9,210
2020	$1,557 (17.3%)	$7,428 (82.7%)	$8,985
2021	$1,959 (18.7%)	$8,522 (81.3%)	$10,481
2022	$2,823 (25.8%)	$8,100 (74.2%)	$10,923
2023	$2,765 (23.5%)	$9,002 (76.5%)	$11,767

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Spook Hill 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 2026^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1978^th of 2240 Elementary schools	4.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Spook Hill Elementary School)	36	31	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Spook Hill Elementary School)	45	30	15%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Spook Hill Elementary School)	30	32	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Spook Hill Elementary School)	41	28	13%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Spook Hill Elementary School)	30	32	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Spook Hill Elementary School)	19	13	6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Spook Hill Elementary School)	33	33
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	646	584	9.6%
African American	194	157	19.1%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	9	2	77.8%
Hispanic	203	193	4.9%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	225	212	5.8%
Two or More Races	14	18	28.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	72.9%	67.3%	5.6%

Schools Near Spook Hill 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
Spook Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	321 Dr Ja Wiltshire Ave E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4262	584	35	16.6	67.3%	212 (36.3%)	157 (26.9%)	193 (33.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.1%)	28	1683^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	25.4%		17.1	1978^th of 2240 public elementary schools	11.7%	295	40.0	38.0	47.0	38.0	41.0	42.0	56.0	$11,767	$2,765	$9,002
Janie Howard Wilson School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	306 Florida Ave	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 678-4211	448	29	15.4	74.6%	91 (20.3%)	126 (28.1%)	210 (46.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (3.3%)	15.9	2008^th of 2256 public elementary schools	11.0%		22.2	1823^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	18.6%	185	33.0	36.0	39.0	38.0	44.0	26.0	31.0	$8,250	$1,393	$6,857
Polk Avenue Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	110 Polk Ave E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4244	531	28	18.9	77.0%	152 (28.6%)	136 (25.6%)	225 (42.4%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.9%)	25.1	1766^th of 2256 public elementary schools	21.7%		13.5	2067^th of 2240 public elementary schools	7.7%	301	41.0	34.0	40.0	47.0	54.0	38.0	33.0	$7,978	$1,511	$6,466
Hillcrest Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1051 State Road 60 E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4216	662	44	15.0	59.2%	317 (47.9%)	130 (19.6%)	174 (26.3%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (4.8%)	64.8	758^th of 2256 public elementary schools	66.4%		63.1	770^th of 2240 public elementary schools	65.6%	12	60.0	52.0	57.0	73.0	71.0	62.0	52.0	$7,531	$737	$6,794
Dale R Fair Babson Park Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	815 Scenic Hwy N	Babson Park	33827	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4664	472	28	16.8	40.0%	345 (73.1%)	37 (7.8%)	74 (15.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.0%)	70.6	625^th of 2256 public elementary schools	72.3%		75.7	490^th of 2240 public elementary schools	78.1%	135	66.0	65.0	59.0	71.0	60.0	64.0	61.0	$8,087	$966	$7,121
Chain Of Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7001 State Highway 653	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 326-5388	1,130	68	16.6	36.8%	436 (38.6%)	243 (21.5%)	352 (31.2%)	60 (5.3%)	5 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	31 (2.7%)	71.6	603^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	73.3%		52.2	1043^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	53.4%	440	65.0	58.0	60.0	71.0	69.0	63.0	64.0	$9,946	$1,793	$8,153
Garden Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4599 Cypress Gardens Rd	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5396	723	41	17.6	45.5%	288 (39.8%)	174 (24.1%)	222 (30.7%)	11 (1.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.6%)	41.7	1300^th of 2256 public elementary schools	42.4%		28.5	1648^th of 2240 public elementary schools	26.4%	348	45.0	41.0	55.0	45.0	58.0	70.0	42.0	$8,685	$1,336	$7,349
Dundee Elementary Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	215 Frederick Ave	Dundee	33838	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 421-3316	653	41	15.9	46.7%	200 (30.6%)	95 (14.5%)	334 (51.1%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.3%)	76.1	500^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.8%		66.6	704^th of 2240 public elementary schools	68.6%	204	63.0	60.0	70.0	65.0	69.0	82.0	65.0	$10,218	$1,489	$8,729
Alturas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	420 4th St	Alturas	33820	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 519-3917	350	20	17.5	61.1%	196 (56.0%)	34 (9.7%)	108 (30.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.9%)	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
Wahneta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 4th St E	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5392	507	31	16.3	69.4%	50 (9.9%)	15 (3.0%)	441 (87.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27	1709^th of 2256 public elementary schools	24.2%		24.5	1756^th of 2240 public elementary schools	21.6%	47	36.0	35.0	31.0	57.0	50.0	47.0	35.0	$11,798	$1,999	$9,799

Frequently Asked Questions about Spook Hill Elementary School

What district is Spook Hill Elementary School in?

Polk

How many students attend Spook Hill Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 584 students attended Spook Hill Elementary School.

Is Spook Hill Elementary School a good school?

Spook Hill Elementary School ranks 1683^rd of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Spook Hill Elementary School?

Students at Spook Hill Elementary School are 36% White, 33% Hispanic, 27% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Spook Hill Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Spook Hill Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : McLaughlin Academy Of Excellence

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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.