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What clubs or activities at HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are worth joining?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
667
Elementary
DISTRICT 641 · STATE 604
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·POLK·NCES 120159001775
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
1051 STATE ROAD 60 E, LAKE WALES, FL 33853 · (863) 678-4216 · Polk County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL667 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 72% of Florida public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Florida public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
41 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.3:1 · STATE 17.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
69%
461 students
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 50%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 120 | 18% |
| Grade 1 | 110 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 112 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 114 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 103 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 108 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (120) is 11% larger than its 5th grade class (108).
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 70% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or AboveEnglish Language Arts
55.7%
FL avg 56.7% . -0.7pp since 2023
Math
69.0%
FL avg 58.9% . +0.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 56 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 69 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2023, while math scores have held steady.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 55.7% | 69.0% |
| 2023-24 | 56.4% | 68.9% |
% at Level 3 or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
60.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
46.5%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+13.5pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 60% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 47% typical for Florida schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Florida's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (60.0% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 667 | 69.1% | 60.0% |
| MOTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BROOKSVILLE | 671 | 67.8% | 48.1% |
| FLORAL AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BARTOW | 585 | 70.9% | 47.5% |
| WEST ZEPHYRHILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZEPHYRHILLS | 625 | 66.7% | 31.7% |
| GULF TRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HOLIDAY | 625 | 69.0% | 44.4% |
| EMERALD SHORES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OCALA | 696 | 71.7% | 36.3% |
Matched among Florida elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Polk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 60.0% | #869 of 2,136 | #20 of 85 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 69.0% | #691 of 2,149 ▼ 115 | #14 of 86 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 55.7% | #1,032 of 2,149 ▼ 158 | #27 of 86 ▼ 4 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 667 | #818 of 2,267 | #34 of 89 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.3:1 | #1,208 of 2,077 | #27 of 85 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.7% | #375 of 2,108 | #25 of 85 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 69.1% | #492 of 2,188 | #50 of 88 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -1.3% | #1,314 of 1,374 | #38 of 39 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
667
-48 (-7%) vs 2020
+10% since 1990-91, when it was 605
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
was 15.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 667 | 41 | 16.3:1 | 69% (461) |
| 2023-24 | 665 | 46 | 14.5:1 | 60% (396) |
| 2022-23 | 662 | 44 | 15.1:1 | 59% (392) |
| 2020-21 | 715 | 46 | 15.5:1 | 55% (395) |
| 2017-18 | 676 | 53 | 12.8:1 | 57% (385) |
| 2015-16 | 673 | 48 | 14.0:1 | 55% (370) |
| 2010-11 | 674 | 44 | 15.3:1 | 76% (511) |
| 2000-01 | 619 | 35 | 17.7:1 | 61% (379) |
| 1990-91 | 605 | 37 | 16.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is listed by the National Center for Education Statistics as an elementary school in LAKE WALES, Florida. It has an enrollment of 667 students in pre-K through 5.
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is run by POLK, whose 163 schools enroll 116,552 students.
About 45% of students at HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are White, the largest single group. It is also 29% Hispanic, 20% Black, and 6% multiracial. Polk County's residents are about 56% White, 11 points above the school's share. A diversity index of 68% means there is a 68% chance two randomly chosen students at HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are from different groups.
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reported 41 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, a ratio of 16.3:1. Elementary schools in Florida average 17.5:1, 1.2 more students per teacher than here. There are 461 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 69% of enrollment.
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL earns a B+ on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 72% of Florida public elementary schools.
Given its share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL would be expected to post about 46.5%. Its actual average proficiency rate across its state test results is 60.0%.
The county, Polk County, is where the school is located. Median household income comes to about $65,978, about 24% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 11%. The county's public schools total 172, with about 117,004 students.
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's nearest public school is MCLAUGHLIN ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE (about 1.2 miles). In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL places 1st of 7 on proficiency among the closest schools that report scores.
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more, a location NCES labels Suburb: Large. The school is a charter school, funded with public money and operated under a charter agreement.
The school's student count fell 7% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years.
This community page is for conversations about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. You can also rate the school on this page.
Polk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
790,694
Census ACS
Median income
$65,978
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
172
117,004 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in POLK
- HAINES CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,105 students
- DAVENPORT HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,731 students
- WINTER HAVEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,648 students
- RIDGE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,632 students
- GEORGE W. JENKINS SENIOR HIGHHigh · 2,469 students
- BARTOW SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,276 students
Other schools in LAKE WALES
- LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,597 students
- MCLAUGHLIN ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCEHigh · 758 students
- EDWARD W BOK ACADEMY NORTHMiddle · 726 students
- BOK ACADEMYMiddle · 640 students
- SPOOK HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 574 students
- POLK AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 523 students
Other Hillcrest Elementary schools
41 other US public schools in 24 states are named Hillcrest Elementary. HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the 5th largest of the 42.
- HILLCREST ELEMENTARYORLANDO, FL · 489 students
- Hillcrest Elementary SchoolLake Stevens, WA · 842 students
- Hillcrest Elementary SchoolEnterprise, AL · 753 students
- Hillcrest Elementary SchoolNEDERLAND, TX · 717 students
- Hillcrest ElementaryBaltimore, MD · 678 students
Nearby schools
- MCLAUGHLIN ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE1.2 mi · 758
- POLK AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.3 mi · 523
- EDWARD W BOK ACADEMY NORTH1.3 mi · 726
- SPOOK HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.5 mi · 574
- VICTORY RIDGE ACADEMY1.6 mi · 321
- LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL1.7 mi · 1,597
Frequently asked questions
About HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHow large is HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 667 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Approximately 16.3:1 students per teacher at HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
How diverse is HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports a student body of 45% White, 29% Hispanic, 20% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Who oversees HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is overseen by POLK in Polk County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.