HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of the close-knit elementary schools in HIGHLAND CITY, Florida, run under POLK, with 414 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 31% smaller than the typical public school in Florida, which averages around 604 students.

POLK comprises 163 schools with combined enrollment of 116,552 students; HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL records that the largest single group is White at 48%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school reports 34% Hispanic, 10% Black, 7% multiracial.

In terms of school funding signals, HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL records 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.8:1. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 64% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

With demographic context factored in, HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 49.3%; this one delivers 56.9%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Polk County indicate median household income runs about $65,978, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Polk County runs 172 public schools (combined enrollment of about 117,004 students), of which HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is MI ESCUELA MONTESSORI, roughly 1.1 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 2nd of 5; the average score across the group is 55.1%.

The school occupies a suburban site.

Over the past 7-year window. HIGHLAND CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's enrollment has ticked down 4% since 2018, when it stood at 430 (now 414). Over the same period, the Hispanic share increased from 20% to 34%. Class-load math has rose: from 13.4:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.