Willow Oak School

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:
1595th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,123 Help


Students who attend Willow Oak School usually attend:

Middle:    Mulberry Middle School
High:    Mulberry Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.4 Help
Number of students:  905

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
61.5%
White:
30.3%
African American:
5.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  67.2% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Willow Oak School ranks worse than 70.7% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 51st among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.97. (See more...)
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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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (61.5%), White (30.3%), African American (5.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 67.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Willow Oak School is 16.4, which is the 42nd best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)
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Compare Willow Oak School employs 55 full-time teachers.
Finance
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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 57th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Willow Oak School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools FL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 29.52 1625th 2240 27.5%
2024 30.97 1595th 2256 29.3%
See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Willow Oak School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





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

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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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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 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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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









Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Oak School

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

Middle : Mulberry Middle School
High : Mulberry Senior High School

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

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

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


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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.





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