Sandhill Elementary School

Summary:

Sandhill Elementary School is a public elementary school in Haines City, Florida, serving 991 students in grades PK-5. 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.

Sandhill Elementary School faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, significantly lower test scores compared to the county and state averages, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Florida elementary schools, with a 0 or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. While the school's per-student spending has increased in recent years, this has not yet translated into significant improvements in student outcomes.

Interestingly, some of the nearby schools, such as Dundee Elementary Academy and Garden Grove Elementary School, perform significantly better on these metrics, suggesting that there may be opportunities to learn from the practices and strategies of the higher-performing schools in the area.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1801 Tyner Rd
Haines City, FL 33844

(863) 419-3166

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1981^st of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,175

Students who attend Sandhill Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lake Marion Creek Middle School
High:	Haines City Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 991

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.8%

African American:

20.6%

White:

16.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Sandhill Elementary School ranks worse than 87.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 75^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.03. (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 Sandhill Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (58.8%), African American (20.6%), White (16.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sandhill Elementary School is 16.5. 44 elementary schools in the Polk School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sandhill Elementary School employs 60 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sandhill Elementary School is $9,175. 71 elementary schools in the Polk School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sandhill 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 Rating:

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Rank History for Sandhill Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	13.96	1508^th	1688	10.7%
2007	10.73	1663^rd	1786	6.9%
2008	39.53	1142^nd	1789	36.2%
2009	61.44	745^th	1847	59.7%
2010	65.38	692^nd	1919	63.9%
2011	52.32	995^th	1985	49.9%
2012	58.27	833^rd	1984	58.0%
2013	64.44	698^th	2029	65.6%
2014	52.13	985^th	2064	52.3%
2016	33.83	1409^th	2087	32.5%
2017	27.48	1564^th	2112	25.9%
2018	26.76	1610^th	2118	24.0%
2019	20.18	1840^th	2182	15.7%
2021	13.53	2033^rd	2247	9.5%
2022	14.27	2017^th	2219	9.1%
2023	12.53	2096^th	2240	6.4%
2024	17.03	1981^st	2256	12.2%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Sandhill Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2001	286	100	0	279	1	n/a	n/a	0	666
2002	278	119	6	471	7	n/a	n/a	0	881
2003	278	119	6	471	7	n/a	n/a	0	881
2004	294	132	6	496	6	n/a	n/a	0	934
2005	277	133	6	615	8	n/a	n/a	0	1039
2006	298	178	9	735	6	n/a	n/a	0	1226
2007	209	128	5	567	16	n/a	n/a	30	955
2008	170	131	4	289	2	n/a	n/a	22	618
2009	176	162	4	297	2	n/a	n/a	31	672
2010	198	143	4	287	1	n/a	n/a	18	651
2011	193	158	5	299	5	0	15	0	675
2012	212	162	3	303	3	0	18	0	701
2013	211	173	4	346	2	0	20	0	756
2014	229	165	2	386	2	2	21	0	807
2015	251	166	3	415	2	5	26	0	868
2016	272	155	3	469	2	1	28	0	930
2017	284	155	2	493	1	1	26	0	962
2018	257	180	5	474	1	2	23	0	942
2019	245	177	2	532	2	3	25	0	986
2020	210	186	8	546	2	1	26	0	979
2021	141	186	9	497	3	2	19	0	857
2022	157	193	11	562	1	1	12	0	937
2023	167	204	15	583	0	1	21	0	991

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 Sandhill Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	666	32.0	20.8	78.2
2002	881	47.0	18.7	81.7
2003	881	47.0	18.7	81.7
2004	934	60.0	15.6	83.9
2005	1039	61.0	17.0	72
2006	1226	75.0	16.3	83.4
2007	955	69.0	13.8	79.6
2008	618	49.0	12.6	78.5
2009	672	52.9	14.9	82.8
2010	651	45.0	14.4	83.1
2011	675	43.0	15.6	82.7
2012	701	45.0	15.5	85
2013	756	49.0	15.4	82
2014	807	50.0	16.1	81.2
2015	868	53.0	16.3	60
2016	930	54.0	17.2	66.3
2017	962	58.0	16.5	64.3
2018	942	62.0	15.1	61.4
2019	986	58.0	17.0	60.5
2020	979	56.0	17.4	58.3
2021	857	57.0	15.0	66.9
2022	937	60.0	15.6	67.6
2023	991	60.0	16.5	54.6

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 Sandhill Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	666	32.0	20.8	78.2
2002	881	47.0	18.7	81.7
2003	881	47.0	18.7	81.7
2004	934	60.0	15.6	83.9
2005	1039	61.0	17.0	72
2006	1226	75.0	16.3	83.4
2007	955	69.0	13.8	79.6
2008	618	49.0	12.6	78.5
2009	672	52.9	14.9	82.8
2010	651	45.0	14.4	83.1
2011	675	43.0	15.6	82.7
2012	701	45.0	15.5	85
2013	756	49.0	15.4	82
2014	807	50.0	16.1	81.2
2015	868	53.0	16.3	60
2016	930	54.0	17.2	66.3
2017	962	58.0	16.5	64.3
2018	942	62.0	15.1	61.4
2019	986	58.0	17.0	60.5
2020	979	56.0	17.4	58.3
2021	857	57.0	15.0	66.9
2022	937	60.0	15.6	67.6
2023	991	60.0	16.5	54.6

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 Sandhill Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,192 (14.9%)	$6,811 (85.1%)	$8,003
2019	$1,089 (13.7%)	$6,881 (86.3%)	$7,971
2020	$940 (12.0%)	$6,871 (88.0%)	$7,812
2021	$1,315 (14.6%)	$7,662 (85.4%)	$8,977
2022	$2,138 (22.6%)	$7,315 (77.4%)	$9,452
2023	$1,573 (17.1%)	$7,602 (82.9%)	$9,175

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sandhill 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 1840^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 2096^th of 2240 Elementary schools	9.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sandhill Elementary School)	52	37	15%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sandhill Elementary School)	53	31	22%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sandhill Elementary School)	30	37	7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sandhill Elementary School)	38	33	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sandhill Elementary School)	36	30	6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sandhill Elementary School)	34	28	6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Sandhill Elementary School)	34	22	12%
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	986	991	0.5%
African American	177	204	15.3%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	2	15	650%
Hispanic	532	583	9.6%
Pacific Islander	3	1	66.7%
White	245	167	31.8%
Two or More Races	25	21	16%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.5%	54.6%	6%

Schools Near Sandhill 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
Sandhill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Tyner Rd	Haines City	33844	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 419-3166	991	60	16.5	54.6%	167 (16.9%)	204 (20.6%)	583 (58.8%)	15 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.1%)	17	1981^st of 2256 public elementary schools	12.2%		12.5	2096^th of 2240 public elementary schools	6.4%	115	39.0	31.0	34.0	46.0	38.0	35.0	30.0	$9,175	$1,573	$7,602
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
Alta Vista Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Scenic Hwy S	Haines City	33844	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 421-3235	769	45	17.0	59.6%	96 (12.5%)	162 (21.1%)	489 (63.6%)	9 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (1.4%)	15.8	2011^th of 2256 public elementary schools	10.9%		11.4	2116^th of 2240 public elementary schools	5.5%	105	32.0	34.0	37.0	45.0	39.0	33.0	24.0	$10,702	$2,320	$8,381
Laurel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1851 Laurel Ave	Poinciana	34759	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 427-1375	1,058	58	18.2	50.4%	74 (7.0%)	393 (37.1%)	556 (52.6%)	14 (1.3%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	13 (1.2%)	24.6	1777^th of 2256 public elementary schools	21.2%		16.7	1990^th of 2240 public elementary schools	11.2%	213	41.0	42.0	48.0	40.0	43.0	38.0	36.0	$10,255	$2,157	$8,098
Eastside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1820 Johnson Ave E	Haines City	33844	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 421-3254	615	33	18.6	66.3%	36 (5.9%)	139 (22.6%)	431 (70.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	28.8	1654^th of 2256 public elementary schools	26.7%		22	1837^th of 2240 public elementary schools	18.0%	183	29.0	30.0	44.0	36.0	41.0	71.0	62.0	$11,181	$2,200	$8,981
Bethune Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	900 Avenue F	Haines City	33844	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 421-3334	428	19	22.5	60.5%	52 (12.1%)	213 (49.8%)	147 (34.3%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	39.9	1348^th of 2256 public elementary schools	40.2%		35.9	1444^th of 2240 public elementary schools	35.5%	96	59.0	39.0	49.0	65.0	41.0	44.0	49.0	$9,343	$1,388	$7,955
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
Palmetto Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	315 Palmetto St	Poinciana	34759	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 427-6012	513	34	15.0	51.9%	57 (11.1%)	96 (18.7%)	350 (68.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.2%)	21.3	1871^st of 2256 public elementary schools	17.1%		15.9	2005^th of 2240 public elementary schools	10.5%	134	41.0	29.0	45.0	41.0	32.0	38.0	47.0	$11,739	$2,791	$8,947
Chestnut Elementary School For Science And Engineering	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 Chestnut St	Kissimmee	34759	Polk County	Osceola	No	No	No	Yes	(407) 870-4862	736	44	16.7	62.0%	80 (10.9%)	182 (24.7%)	447 (60.7%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	17 (2.3%)	30.9	1597^th of 2256 public elementary schools	29.2%		21.5	1852^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	17.3%	255	56.0	38.0	43.0	57.0	32.0	37.0	41.0	$10,923	$2,211	$8,712
Davenport Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8 W Palmetto St	Davenport	33837	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 534-0500	786	38	20.6	48.9%	131 (16.7%)	126 (16.0%)	509 (64.8%)	9 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.0%)	34	1515^th of 2256 public elementary schools	32.8%		32	1552^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	30.7%	37	52.0	42.0	43.0	44.0	50.0	40.0	51.0	$9,722	$2,218	$7,504

Frequently Asked Questions about Sandhill Elementary School

What district is Sandhill Elementary School in?

Polk

What schools do graduates of Sandhill Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Lake Marion Creek Middle School
High : Haines City Senior High School

Is Sandhill Elementary School a good school?

Sandhill Elementary School ranks in the bottom 12.2% of Florida elementary schools.

How many students attend Sandhill Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 991 students attended Sandhill Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Sandhill Elementary School?

Students at Sandhill Elementary School are 59% Hispanic, 21% African American, 17% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% 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.