R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School

Summary:

R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lakeland, Florida, serving 708 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 57th out of 68 districts in the state.

While the school has a relatively diverse student population, it faces several challenges. R. Clem Churchwell has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate of 36.3% compared to the Polk district average of 19.1% and the Florida state average. Additionally, the school's test scores are generally lower than district and state averages, with its 5th-grade science proficiency rate at 32% compared to the Polk district average of 48% and the Florida state average of 53%. The school also has a high percentage of students, 52.68%, receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

When compared to nearby schools in the Polk district, R. Clem Churchwell Elementary generally performs worse on key metrics. For example, Sleepy Hill Elementary School, located just 3.81 miles away, has significantly higher test scores and a lower chronic absenteeism rate. Over the past several years, R. Clem Churchwell's statewide ranking has also steadily declined, suggesting that the school's performance has been worsening compared to other schools in Florida.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

8201 Park Byrd Rd
Lakeland, FL 33810

(863) 853-6011

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1707^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,095

Students who attend R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Kathleen Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.0

Number of students: 686

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.8%

Hispanic:

36.6%

African American:

15.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.9%

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Compare R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School ranks worse than 75.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 60^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.13. (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 R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (41.8%), Hispanic (36.6%), African American (15.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School is 19. 79 elementary schools in the Polk School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School employs 36 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School is $10,095. 47 elementary schools in the Polk School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

R. Clem Churchwell 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 R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	30.82	1209^th	1688	28.4%
2007	40.41	1128^th	1786	36.8%
2008	35.41	1235^th	1789	31.0%
2009	23.16	1517^th	1847	17.9%
2010	38.05	1275^th	1919	33.6%
2011	40.35	1267^th	1985	36.2%
2012	41.51	1193^rd	1984	39.9%
2013	49.11	1024^th	2029	49.5%
2014	36.91	1335^th	2064	35.3%
2016	30.39	1502^nd	2087	28.0%
2017	63.65	752^nd	2112	64.4%
2018	69.23	623^rd	2118	70.6%
2019	50.71	1064^th	2182	51.2%
2021	37.64	1377^th	2247	38.7%
2022	39.45	1337^th	2219	39.7%
2023	26.26	1708^th	2240	23.8%
2024	27.13	1707^th	2256	24.3%

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 R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	982	14	8	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	1019
1989	1078	19	12	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	1120
1990	1222	23	10	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	1273
1991	1209	31	10	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	1278
1992	655	40	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	708
1993	532	119	4	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	668
1994	551	114	7	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	684
1995	534	102	7	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	666
1996	534	102	7	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	666
1997	484	118	3	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	634
1998	446	130	6	45	0	n/a	n/a	0	627
1999	437	117	4	60	1	n/a	n/a	0	619
2000	434	145	5	51	3	n/a	n/a	0	638
2001	461	176	4	59	2	n/a	n/a	0	702
2002	422	112	3	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	593
2003	422	112	3	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	593
2004	448	71	3	70	0	n/a	n/a	0	592
2005	436	86	5	77	0	n/a	n/a	0	604
2006	470	96	7	105	0	n/a	n/a	0	678
2007	437	103	9	139	1	n/a	n/a	36	725
2008	414	139	11	148	2	n/a	n/a	30	744
2009	395	144	19	155	2	n/a	n/a	32	747
2010	342	131	22	131	2	n/a	n/a	30	658
2011	314	105	18	168	3	0	18	0	626
2012	297	109	12	150	5	0	24	0	597
2013	282	111	10	155	6	0	19	0	583
2014	282	126	8	146	4	0	20	0	586
2015	314	119	8	163	3	1	19	0	627
2016	319	109	6	163	3	1	17	0	618
2017	321	126	12	177	3	1	12	0	652
2018	330	108	13	185	3	1	7	0	647
2019	366	119	19	214	1	1	13	0	733
2020	325	124	17	239	0	2	23	0	730
2021	298	124	16	247	0	4	24	0	713
2022	329	104	15	282	0	3	30	0	763
2023	292	102	9	277	1	4	23	0	708
2024	287	107	8	251	1	3	29	0	686

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 R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1019	55.0	18.5	34.1
1989	1120	62.0	18.0	33.8
1990	1273	69.0	18.4	6.3
1991	1278	70.0	18.2	36.2
1992	708	35.0	20.2	25.1
1993	668	37.0	18.1	40.4
1994	684	38.0	18.0	44
1995	666	37.0	18.0	44.4
1996	666	37.0	18.0	44.4
1997	634	35.0	18.1	49.7
1998	627	33.0	19.0	49.1
1999	619	36.0	17.2	53
2000	638	35.0	18.2	53.1
2001	702	42.0	16.7	59.3
2002	593	40.0	14.8	58.9
2003	593	40.0	14.8	58.9
2004	592	44.0	13.5	62
2005	604	45.0	13.4	57
2006	678	46.0	14.7	60.6
2007	725	49.0	14.8	62.1
2008	744	52.0	14.3	61.9
2009	747	59.9	14.6	59.6
2010	658	47.0	14.0	65.9
2011	626	42.0	14.9	67.4
2012	597	42.0	14.2	70.4
2013	583	38.0	15.3	64.8
2014	586	37.0	15.8	68.8
2015	627	39.0	16.0	68.1
2016	618	38.0	16.2	57
2017	652	39.0	16.7	54.9
2018	647	39.0	16.5	50.7
2019	733	40.0	18.3	52
2020	730	41.0	17.8	48.5
2021	713	44.0	16.2	56
2022	763	43.0	17.7	58.5
2023	708	43.0	16.4	52.7
2024	686	36.0	19.0	66.9

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 R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1019	55.0	18.5	34.1
1989	1120	62.0	18.0	33.8
1990	1273	69.0	18.4	6.3
1991	1278	70.0	18.2	36.2
1992	708	35.0	20.2	25.1
1993	668	37.0	18.1	40.4
1994	684	38.0	18.0	44
1995	666	37.0	18.0	44.4
1996	666	37.0	18.0	44.4
1997	634	35.0	18.1	49.7
1998	627	33.0	19.0	49.1
1999	619	36.0	17.2	53
2000	638	35.0	18.2	53.1
2001	702	42.0	16.7	59.3
2002	593	40.0	14.8	58.9
2003	593	40.0	14.8	58.9
2004	592	44.0	13.5	62
2005	604	45.0	13.4	57
2006	678	46.0	14.7	60.6
2007	725	49.0	14.8	62.1
2008	744	52.0	14.3	61.9
2009	747	59.9	14.6	59.6
2010	658	47.0	14.0	65.9
2011	626	42.0	14.9	67.4
2012	597	42.0	14.2	70.4
2013	583	38.0	15.3	64.8
2014	586	37.0	15.8	68.8
2015	627	39.0	16.0	68.1
2016	618	38.0	16.2	57
2017	652	39.0	16.7	54.9
2018	647	39.0	16.5	50.7
2019	733	40.0	18.3	52
2020	730	41.0	17.8	48.5
2021	713	44.0	16.2	56
2022	763	43.0	17.7	58.5
2023	708	43.0	16.4	52.7
2024	686	36.0	19.0	66.9

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 R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,170 (14.2%)	$7,086 (85.8%)	$8,256
2019	$1,119 (14.0%)	$6,856 (86.0%)	$7,975
2020	$729 (9.7%)	$6,785 (90.3%)	$7,513
2021	$1,034 (12.6%)	$7,197 (87.4%)	$8,232
2022	$1,906 (21.7%)	$6,897 (78.3%)	$8,803
2023	$1,596 (15.8%)	$8,499 (84.2%)	$10,095

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on R. Clem Churchwell 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 1064^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1708^th of 2240 Elementary schools	27.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School)	55	54	1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School)	65	58	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School)	52	44	8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School)	76	55	21%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School)	44	42	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School)	62	45	17%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School)	47	31	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	733	708	3.4%
African American	119	102	14.3%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	19	9	52.6%
Hispanic	214	277	29.4%
Pacific Islander	1	4	300%
White	366	292	20.2%
Two or More Races	13	23	76.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52%	52.7%	0.7%

Schools Near R. Clem Churchwell 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
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	686	36	19.0	66.9%	287 (41.8%)	107 (15.6%)	251 (36.6%)	8 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	29 (4.2%)	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
Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6600 Green Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 815-6633	749	41	18.2	71.8%	307 (41.0%)	143 (19.1%)	265 (35.4%)	10 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.1%)	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
Socrum Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9400 Old Dade City Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6050	515	31	16.6	77.5%	236 (45.8%)	99 (19.2%)	159 (30.9%)	5 (1.0%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.1%)	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
Kathleen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3515 Sheretz Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6030	480	33	14.5	80.8%	208 (43.3%)	101 (21.0%)	162 (33.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	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
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	110 Leelon Rd	Lakeland	33809	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6044	554	31	17.8	71.8%	204 (36.8%)	133 (24.0%)	190 (34.3%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.2%)	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
Sleepy Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2285 Sleepy Hill Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 815-6768	766	50	15.3	76.9%	217 (28.3%)	189 (24.7%)	329 (43.0%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.0%)	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
Wendell Watson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6800 Walt Williams Rd	Lakeland	33809	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6060	835	53	15.7	53.2%	406 (48.6%)	129 (15.4%)	257 (30.8%)	7 (0.8%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.1%)	40.5	1331^st of 2256 public elementary schools	41.0%		48.2	1134^th of 2240 public elementary schools	49.4%	197	53.0	50.0	47.0	55.0	50.0	46.0	43.0	$9,926	$1,507	$8,419
Griffin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3315 Kathleen Rd	Lakeland	33810	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6020	411	22	18.6	80.3%	88 (21.4%)	133 (32.4%)	166 (40.4%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (3.2%)	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
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	637	44	14.4	79.1%	144 (22.6%)	192 (30.1%)	278 (43.6%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (2.8%)	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
Achievement Academy	Public, Charter	PK	716 Bella Vista St E	Lakeland	33805	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 683-6504	157	21	7.4	57.3%	53 (33.8%)	34 (21.7%)	63 (40.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	4 (2.5%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School

What district is R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School in?

Polk

What schools do graduates of R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Kathleen Senior High School

How many students attend R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 686 students attended R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School.

Is R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School a good school?

R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School ranks in the bottom 24.3% of Florida elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School?

Students at R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School are 42% White, 37% Hispanic, 16% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.