Is Garden Grove Elementary School a good school?

Garden Grove Elementary School ranks 1300 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Garden Grove Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 723 students attended Garden Grove Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Garden Grove Elementary School?

Students at Garden Grove Elementary School are 40% White, 31% Hispanic, 24% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Garden Grove Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Garden Grove Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Denison Middle School High : Winter Haven Senior High School

Garden Grove Elementary School

Summary:

Garden Grove Elementary School is a public elementary school in Winter Haven, Florida, serving 723 students from pre-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.

Garden Grove Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of African American (24.07%) and Hispanic (30.71%) students. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 13.7% in 2019-2020 to 35.5% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, Garden Grove's test scores are generally lower than the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels, with the 5th-grade science proficiency rate at 42% compared to the state average of 53%. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 45.5% to 58.99% over the past few years, suggesting a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

While Garden Grove's performance is generally lower than the state and district averages, some nearby schools, such as Cypress Junction Montessori and Frank E. Brigham Academy, have significantly higher test scores and statewide rankings. This highlights the potential for improvement at Garden Grove, but the school's declining performance, high chronic absenteeism, and socioeconomic challenges will need to be addressed through targeted interventions and increased resources to provide a better educational experience for its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4599 Cypress Gardens Rd
Winter Haven, FL 33884

(863) 291-5396

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1300^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,685

Students who attend Garden Grove Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Denison Middle School
High:	Winter Haven Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.6

Number of students: 723

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.8%

Hispanic:

30.7%

African American:

24.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 45.5%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Garden Grove Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Garden Grove Elementary School ranks worse than 57.6% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 30^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.71. (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 Garden Grove Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (39.8%), Hispanic (30.7%), African American (24.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 45.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Garden Grove Elementary School is 17.6. 66 elementary schools in the Polk School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Garden Grove Elementary School employs 41 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Garden Grove Elementary School is $8,685. 78 elementary schools in the Polk School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove Elementary School.

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Your rating for Garden Grove Elementary School?

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Rank History for Garden Grove Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	69.48	526^th	1688	68.8%
2007	68.81	565^th	1786	68.4%
2008	50.61	933^rd	1789	47.8%
2009	57.31	834^th	1847	54.8%
2010	48.73	1063^rd	1919	44.6%
2011	53.34	973^rd	1985	51.0%
2012	52.08	951^st	1984	52.1%
2013	48.85	1034^th	2029	49.0%
2014	38.45	1297^th	2064	37.2%
2016	50.32	1033^rd	2087	50.5%
2017	39.41	1295^th	2112	38.7%
2018	49.32	1077^th	2118	49.2%
2019	42.95	1242^nd	2182	43.1%
2021	36.01	1420^th	2247	36.8%
2022	28.80	1597^th	2219	28.0%
2023	28.48	1648^th	2240	26.4%
2024	41.71	1300^th	2256	42.4%

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: 1.3)

33%

67%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, July 7, 2017

In fact the school has lack of information for the students and a lot of teachers didnt care about the improvement of them Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, August 15, 2011

Extremely "clicky" PTO and faculty relationship (including the administration). When you bring a concern to the administration you are given lip service and nothing changes. Administration and staff are daily seen screaming at the children--this includes kindergardners (not just talking with raised voices, but where you can hear them word for word 20-30 ft away and see their arms flailing in the air). Kids who are waiting for school 10-15 minutes BEFORE the bell rings are required to sit in silence because as I have witnessed one teacher and one administrator say "shut your mouths, you are all giving me a headache". Children are bullied by other students without the staff stepping in. The only time the staff steps in is when a parent brings it to their attention. There are nothing but inconsistencies in how school procedures and rules are applied.

I have complained to the school board, but nothing has changed. DO NOT MOVE INTO ZONING FOR THIS SCHOOL!!!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Garden Grove Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	539	93	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	640
1989	610	95	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	717
1990	678	90	10	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	784
1991	727	90	12	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	845
1992	752	78	10	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	852
1993	728	95	10	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	850
1994	525	146	5	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	692
1995	503	178	9	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	727
1996	503	178	9	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	727
1997	497	179	13	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	713
1998	503	203	15	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	749
1999	521	212	14	30	1	n/a	n/a	0	778
2000	541	180	14	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	772
2001	468	179	11	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	686
2002	510	169	24	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	730
2003	510	169	24	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	730
2004	523	181	19	38	0	n/a	n/a	0	761
2005	516	175	17	49	1	n/a	n/a	0	758
2006	433	145	15	67	2	n/a	n/a	0	662
2007	409	162	18	91	2	n/a	n/a	47	729
2008	425	194	22	101	1	n/a	n/a	56	799
2009	356	164	21	90	2	n/a	n/a	48	681
2010	357	156	19	97	0	n/a	n/a	40	669
2011	341	162	20	110	3	1	19	0	656
2012	305	177	14	110	6	1	19	0	632
2013	303	173	12	101	2	0	19	0	610
2014	272	155	8	115	2	0	23	0	575
2015	301	133	8	99	1	0	20	0	562
2016	292	143	9	100	2	1	23	0	570
2017	270	149	8	89	2	1	23	0	542
2018	261	137	9	94	2	0	23	0	526
2019	256	132	7	96	3	0	18	0	512
2020	258	160	9	103	2	1	23	0	556
2021	233	137	6	137	2	1	18	0	534
2022	257	153	7	164	2	0	18	0	601
2023	288	174	11	222	2	0	26	0	723

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 Garden Grove Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	640	30.0	21.3	20
1989	717	35.0	20.4	17.4
1990	784	40.0	19.6	0
1991	845	42.0	20.1	17.2
1992	852	42.0	20.2	14.4
1993	850	43.0	19.8	19.4
1994	692	34.0	20.4	29.5
1995	727	33.0	22.0	33.1
1996	727	33.0	22.0	33.1
1997	713	34.0	21.0	33.7
1998	749	37.0	20.2	35.6
1999	778	39.0	19.9	40.9
2000	772	40.0	19.3	36.8
2001	686	33.0	20.8	40.1
2002	730	39.0	18.7	43.3
2003	730	39.0	18.7	43.3
2004	761	43.0	17.7	47.4
2005	758	45.0	16.8	42.2
2006	662	45.0	14.7	48.6
2007	729	50.0	14.6	53.4
2008	799	53.5	14.9	54.1
2009	681	56.4	14.2	56.1
2010	669	44.0	15.2	64.7
2011	656	45.0	14.5	59.9
2012	632	41.0	15.4	64.2
2013	610	40.0	15.2	65.7
2014	575	37.0	15.5	71
2015	562	37.0	15.1	54.4
2016	570	37.0	15.4	58.4
2017	542	35.0	15.4	56.1
2018	526	33.0	15.9	52.1
2019	512	31.0	16.5	51.8
2020	556	30.0	18.5	47.1
2021	534	33.0	16.1	59
2022	601	36.0	16.6	56.4
2023	723	41.0	17.6	45.5

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 Garden Grove Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	640	30.0	21.3	20
1989	717	35.0	20.4	17.4
1990	784	40.0	19.6	0
1991	845	42.0	20.1	17.2
1992	852	42.0	20.2	14.4
1993	850	43.0	19.8	19.4
1994	692	34.0	20.4	29.5
1995	727	33.0	22.0	33.1
1996	727	33.0	22.0	33.1
1997	713	34.0	21.0	33.7
1998	749	37.0	20.2	35.6
1999	778	39.0	19.9	40.9
2000	772	40.0	19.3	36.8
2001	686	33.0	20.8	40.1
2002	730	39.0	18.7	43.3
2003	730	39.0	18.7	43.3
2004	761	43.0	17.7	47.4
2005	758	45.0	16.8	42.2
2006	662	45.0	14.7	48.6
2007	729	50.0	14.6	53.4
2008	799	53.5	14.9	54.1
2009	681	56.4	14.2	56.1
2010	669	44.0	15.2	64.7
2011	656	45.0	14.5	59.9
2012	632	41.0	15.4	64.2
2013	610	40.0	15.2	65.7
2014	575	37.0	15.5	71
2015	562	37.0	15.1	54.4
2016	570	37.0	15.4	58.4
2017	542	35.0	15.4	56.1
2018	526	33.0	15.9	52.1
2019	512	31.0	16.5	51.8
2020	556	30.0	18.5	47.1
2021	534	33.0	16.1	59
2022	601	36.0	16.6	56.4
2023	723	41.0	17.6	45.5

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 Garden Grove Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,338 (15.5%)	$7,303 (84.5%)	$8,641
2019	$1,187 (13.1%)	$7,896 (86.9%)	$9,083
2020	$767 (9.0%)	$7,748 (91.0%)	$8,515
2021	$1,086 (13.0%)	$7,258 (87.0%)	$8,344
2022	$2,086 (22.9%)	$7,033 (77.1%)	$9,119
2023	$1,336 (15.4%)	$7,349 (84.6%)	$8,685

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Garden Grove 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 1242^nd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1648^th of 2240 Elementary schools	16.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Garden Grove Elementary School)	49	37	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Garden Grove Elementary School)	68	44	24%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Garden Grove Elementary School)	47	40	7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Garden Grove Elementary School)	45	43	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Garden Grove Elementary School)	51	44	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Garden Grove Elementary School)	65	53	12%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Garden Grove Elementary School)	48	32	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	512	723	41.2%
African American	132	174	31.8%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	7	11	57.1%
Hispanic	96	222	131.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	256	288	12.5%
Two or More Races	18	26	44.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.8%	45.5%	6.3%

Schools Near Garden Grove 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
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
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
Elbert Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	205 15th St NE	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5364	601	42	14.3	61.7%	137 (22.8%)	206 (34.3%)	219 (36.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.8%)	27.7	1697^th of 2256 public elementary schools	24.8%		25.1	1740^th of 2240 public elementary schools	22.3%	43	32.0	51.0	44.0				36.0	54.0	34.0				38.0				$11,542	$2,282	$9,260
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
Frank E. Brigham Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	601 Avenue C SE	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 291-5300	564	32	17.6	34.0%	232 (41.1%)	139 (24.6%)	142 (25.2%)	25 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.6%)	90.7	153^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	93.2%		84.6	296^th of 2240 public elementary schools	86.8%	143	80.0	76.0	81.0				80.0	76.0	82.0				73.0				$9,878	$1,088	$8,791
John Snively Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	848 Snively Ave	Eloise	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5325	399	28	14.2	72.2%	58 (14.5%)	98 (24.6%)	226 (56.6%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	31.7	1571^st of 2256 public elementary schools	30.4%		26.1	1714^th of 2240 public elementary schools	23.5%	143	51.0	38.0	44.0				62.0	43.0	40.0				36.0				$13,454	$2,555	$10,899
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
Cypress Junction Montessori	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	220 5th St SW	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 259-1490	196	13	15.0	1.5%	135 (68.9%)	15 (7.7%)	35 (17.9%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)	35.4	1478^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.5%		61.2	811^th of 2240 public elementary schools	63.8%	667	55.0	53.0	54.0	58.0	37.0	65.0	40.0	47.0	25.0	50.0	60.0		29.0	41.0	72.0		$9,873	$1,562	$8,311
Pinewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Gilbert St	Eagle Lake	33839	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 298-7977	709	41	17.2	52.9%	249 (35.1%)	154 (21.7%)	278 (39.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (3.4%)	38.4	1381^st of 2256 public elementary schools	38.8%		38.8	1367^th of 2240 public elementary schools	39.0%	14	49.0	47.0	46.0				57.0	52.0	49.0				37.0				$9,660	$1,529	$8,130
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	679	48	14.1	47.9%	179 (26.4%)	312 (45.9%)	156 (23.0%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.2%)	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

Garden Grove Elementary School

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Rank History for Garden Grove Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Garden Grove Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Garden Grove Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Garden Grove Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Garden Grove Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Garden Grove Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Garden Grove Elementary School