Willow Oak School

Q: Is Willow Oak School a good school?

Willow Oak School ranks 1595 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Willow Oak School is an elementary school located in Mulberry, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 905 students. The school is part of the Polk District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Willow Oak School faces several challenges, including a high chronic absenteeism rate of 30.5%, significantly higher than the 24.6% rate at Valleyview Elementary, the highest-performing nearby school. The school's test scores are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subjects, with the 5th-grade science proficiency rate at 44%, compared to the state average of 53% and the district average of 48%. Additionally, Willow Oak School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 67.18%, much higher than the nearby high-performing schools like Highlands Grove Elementary (35.84%) and Scott Lake Elementary (31.82%).

Despite having higher spending per student than the state average, Willow Oak School's performance is still lagging behind, suggesting that factors other than funding, such as student engagement, teacher quality, and parental involvement, may be contributing to the school's challenges. The school's high percentage of Hispanic students (61.55%) compared to the nearby higher-performing schools, which have a higher percentage of White students, may also be a factor in the school's performance. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and implementing targeted interventions to support student success will be crucial for improving Willow Oak School's overall performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4815 Bailey Road
Mulberry, FL 33860

(863) 417-6670

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1595^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,123

Students who attend Willow Oak School usually attend:

Middle:	Mulberry Middle School
High:	Mulberry Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 905

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

61.5%

White:

30.3%

African American:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Willow Oak School ranks worse than 70.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 51^st among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.97. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (61.5%), White (30.3%), African American (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 67.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Willow Oak School is 16.4, which is the 42^nd best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Willow Oak School employs 55 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Willow Oak School is $10,123. 46 elementary schools in the Polk School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Willow Oak 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 Willow Oak School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.52	1625^th	2240	27.5%
2024	30.97	1595^th	2256	29.3%

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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Enrollment information for Willow Oak School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2022	234	35	4	543	0	1	15	0	832
2023	274	47	3	557	1	1	22	0	905

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 Willow Oak School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	832	51.0	16.3	72.8
2023	905	55.0	16.4	67.2

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 Willow Oak School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	832	51.0	16.3	72.8
2023	905	55.0	16.4	67.2

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 Willow Oak School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2022	$2,007 (20.6%)	$7,758 (79.4%)	$9,765
2023	$1,747 (17.3%)	$8,375 (82.7%)	$10,123

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Schools Near Willow Oak 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
Willow Oak School	Public	PK, KG-5	4815 Bailey Road	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 417-6670	905	55	16.4	67.2%	274 (30.3%)	47 (5.2%)	557 (61.5%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (2.4%)	31	1595^th of 2256 public elementary schools	29.3%		29.5	1625^th of 2240 public elementary schools	27.5%	30	39.0	36.0	48.0	49.0	43.0	60.0	44.0	$10,123	$1,747	$8,375
James W. Sikes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2727 Shepherd Rd	Lakeland	33811	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3525	563	39	14.4	36.8%	269 (47.8%)	70 (12.4%)	195 (34.6%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.6%)	59	884^th of 2256 public elementary schools	60.8%		49.2	1115^th of 2240 public elementary schools	50.2%	231	63.0	57.0	54.0	68.0	73.0	42.0	47.0	$11,513	$1,503	$10,010
Rcma Mulberry Community Academy	Public, Charter	K-1	4438 Academy Dr	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(863) 425-9246	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5500 Yates Rd	Lakeland	33811	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1450	946	61	15.5	46.1%	375 (39.6%)	120 (12.7%)	416 (44.0%)	12 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.3%)	49.2	1109^th of 2256 public elementary schools	50.8%		36.2	1435^th of 2240 public elementary schools	35.9%	326	59.0	53.0	53.0	54.0	49.0	54.0	52.0	$9,995	$1,734	$8,261
Purcell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	305 1st Ave NE	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1061	516	32	16.1	64.1%	197 (38.2%)	54 (10.5%)	256 (49.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	15.8	2015^th of 2256 public elementary schools	10.7%		21.4	1853^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	17.3%	162	32.0	38.0	46.0	39.0	26.0	31.0	25.0	$11,012	$2,048	$8,964
Medulla Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	850 Schoolhouse Rd	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3515	515	35	14.7	59.0%	167 (32.4%)	111 (21.6%)	208 (40.4%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.7%)	31.3	1584^th of 2256 public elementary schools	29.8%		31	1585^th of 2240 public elementary schools	29.2%	1	57.0	39.0	45.0	38.0	42.0	41.0	47.0	$11,939	$1,735	$10,204
Scott Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1140 County Road 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3520	727	48	15.1	36.2%	433 (59.6%)	78 (10.7%)	173 (23.8%)	18 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.4%)	68.5	676^th of 2256 public elementary schools	70.0%		62.6	782^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	65.1%	106	65.0	59.0	58.0	76.0	66.0	59.0	55.0	$10,771	$1,706	$9,066
Springhead Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3208 Nesmith Rd	Plant City	33566	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 757-9321	735	50	14.8	76.5%	230 (31.3%)	40 (5.4%)	437 (59.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.4%)	47.3	1168^th of 2256 public elementary schools	48.2%		43.8	1233^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	45.0%	65	46.0	42.0	51.0	65.0	60.0	53.0	51.0	$10,190	$2,541	$7,650
Carlton Palmore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3725 Clevelnd Hts Blvd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3510	465	36	12.9	51.8%	220 (47.3%)	118 (25.4%)	100 (21.5%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.7%)	26.7	1720^th of 2256 public elementary schools	23.8%		36.7	1423^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	36.5%	297	35.0	40.0	45.0	18.0	33.0	61.0	53.0	$12,393	$1,706	$10,687
Valleyview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 State Rd 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3535	861	51	16.8	31.8%	490 (56.9%)	121 (14.1%)	175 (20.3%)	52 (6.0%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	16 (1.9%)	84.4	313^th of 2256 public elementary schools	86.1%		83.2	334^th of 2240 public elementary schools	85.1%	21	70.0	71.0	73.0	76.0	76.0	74.0	66.0	$9,589	$1,090	$8,499

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Oak School

How many students attend Willow Oak School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 905 students attended Willow Oak School.

What schools do graduates of Willow Oak School attend?

Students who attend Willow Oak School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mulberry Middle School
High : Mulberry Senior High School

Is Willow Oak School a good school?

Willow Oak School ranks 1595^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Willow Oak School?

Students at Willow Oak School are 62% Hispanic, 30% White, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Willow Oak School in?

Polk

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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.