HARTRIDGE ACADEMY

HARTRIDGE ACADEMY is one of the minimally staffed elementary schools in WINTER HAVEN, Florida, run under POLK, with 200 students on its rolls from grades K through 5. By comparison, Florida's public schools average about 604 students each, so HARTRIDGE ACADEMY sits 67% smaller than that benchmark.

Within POLK, which oversees 163 schools and 116,552 students, HARTRIDGE ACADEMY is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, HARTRIDGE ACADEMY logs that the largest single group is White at 49%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school reports 35% Hispanic, 11% Black, 5% multiracial.

In terms of school funding signals, The school employs 11 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 18.2:1. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 55% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Polk County runs at roughly 65%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, HARTRIDGE ACADEMY tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 53.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 67.6%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Polk County indicate median household earnings sit near $65,978, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Polk County's 172 public schools (combined enrollment of about 117,004 students), HARTRIDGE ACADEMY is one campus in the mix.

NEW BEGINNINGS HIGH SCHOOL is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.1 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), HARTRIDGE ACADEMY ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 46.0%.

HARTRIDGE ACADEMY operates from a residential location. HARTRIDGE ACADEMY is a charter school, which puts it inside the public-school system but outside the standard district-managed model.

Over the past 7-year window. HARTRIDGE ACADEMY's enrollment has ticked down 12% since 2018, when it stood at 226 (now 200). Over the same period, the White share contracted from 60% to 49%. Class-load math has grew: from 12.6:1 in 2018 to 18.2:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.