Enrollment
298
Elementary
DISTRICT 433 · STATE 604
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HARDEE·NCES 120075004853
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2401 US HIGHWAY 17 N, WAUCHULA, FL 33873 · (863) 773-2750 · Hardee County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL298 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 30% of Florida public elementary schools
- C-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B-Beats 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
15.7:1
19 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.9:1 · STATE 17.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
77%
229 students
DISTRICT 72% · STATE 50%
Community
0
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 8 | 3% |
| Kindergarten | 51 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 41 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 47 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 49 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 53 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 49 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (51) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (49).
Student demographics
45%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 52% · 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
45.8%
FL avg 56.7% . +4.4pp since 2023
Math
46.7%
FL avg 58.9% . -3.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 47 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores are up about 4 points since 2023, while math scores are down about 3 points.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 45.8% | 46.7% |
| 2023-24 | 41.4% | 49.8% |
% 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
43.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
42.7%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+1.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 44% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 43% 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 HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (43.7% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 298 | 76.8% | 43.7% |
| WILSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLANT CITY | 329 | 71.1% | 43.1% |
| BOWLING GREEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOWLING GREEN | 260 | 82.7% | 48.0% |
| SOMERSET ARTS ACADEMY HOMESTEAD | 413 | 75.5% | 67.5% |
| MOORE HAVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MOORE HAVEN | 344 | 74.1% | 52.6% |
| RODNEY B. COX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DADE CITY | 399 | 75.4% | 34.0% |
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 HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Florida |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 43.7% | #1,651 of 2,136 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 46.7% | #1,701 of 2,149 ▼ 315 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 45.8% | #1,508 of 2,149 ▲ 65 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 298 | #1,991 of 2,267 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.7:1 | #988 of 2,077 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 44.7% | #1,553 of 2,108 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 76.8% | #236 of 2,188 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -16.3% | #652 of 1,374 |
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
298
-25 (-8%) vs 2020
-17% since 2010-11, when it was 357
Student : Teacher
15.7:1
was 17.9:1
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 | 298 | 19 | 15.7:1 | 77% (229) |
| 2023-24 | 264 | 17 | 15.5:1 | 72% (190) |
| 2022-23 | 286 | 18 | 15.9:1 | 79% (225) |
| 2020-21 | 323 | 18 | 17.9:1 | 73% (236) |
| 2017-18 | 356 | 28 | 12.7:1 | 76% (270) |
| 2015-16 | 394 | 26 | 15.2:1 | 77% (303) |
| 2010-11 | 357 | 28 | 12.8:1 | 92% (327) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The public elementary school HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is located in WAUCHULA, Florida. Students in pre-K through 5 attend the school, which enrolls 298 students. For comparison, elementary schools in Florida average about 604 students.
HARDEE has a total of 9 schools and 4,547 students, HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL among them.
By race and ethnicity, HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is 71% Hispanic. The rest of enrollment is 19% White, 6% Black, and 2% multiracial. Census estimates put the Hispanic share of Hardee County's population at about 42%. The chance that two students picked at random at HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 45%.
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL employs 19 full-time-equivalent teachers. That gives a ratio of about 15.7:1. The average ratio among elementary schools in Florida is 17.5:1, higher than at this school. HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's free or reduced-price lunch eligibility rate is 77%. Across public schools in Hardee County, the average is about the same, 75%.
Measured against Florida public elementary schools, HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL receives a C. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's average proficiency rate on state tests of 43.7% is 1.1 points above the 42.7% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Hardee County show that median household income is about $60,489, about 12% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 20% of residents are in poverty. HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 11 public schools in Hardee County, which together enroll about 4,547 students.
The closest public school, HARDEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, is less than a tenth of a mile from HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Around the school, 7 other public schools are within five miles. HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL places 6th of 7 on proficiency among the closest schools that report scores.
Its NCES locale code is Rural: Fringe: the school is in rural territory close to an urban area.
The number of students dropped from 323 to 298 over 4 years. By 2024-25, the school had 15.7 students per teacher, compared with 17.9 in 2020-21.
The discussion area below is open to posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Hardee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
25,675
Census ACS
Median income
$60,489
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
12%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
20%
Below federal line
Schools in county
11
4,547 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in HARDEE
- HARDEE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,347 students
- HARDEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 958 students
- WAUCHULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 577 students
- NORTH WAUCHULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 516 students
- ZOLFO SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 512 students
- BOWLING GREEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 260 students
Other schools in WAUCHULA
- HARDEE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,347 students
- HARDEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 958 students
- WAUCHULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 577 students
- NORTH WAUCHULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 516 students
- HARDEE VIRTUAL FRANCHISECombined · 52 students
- PIONEER CAREER ACADEMYHigh · 27 students
Other Hilltop Elementary schools
17 other US public schools in 11 states are named Hilltop Elementary. HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the 13th largest of the 18.
- Hilltop Elementary SchoolARGYLE, TX · 788 students
- HILLTOP ELEMENTARYINVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN · 626 students
- Hilltop Elementary SchoolBonaire, GA · 590 students
- Hilltop ElementaryLYNNWOOD, WA · 562 students
- Hilltop Elementary SchoolAZLE, TX · 537 students
Nearby schools
- HARDEE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL0.0 mi · 958
- NORTH WAUCHULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.8 mi · 516
- HARDEE VIRTUAL FRANCHISE2.0 mi · 52
- PIONEER CAREER ACADEMY2.8 mi · 27
- WAUCHULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL3.0 mi · 577
- BOWLING GREEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL3.5 mi · 260
Frequently asked questions
About HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHow many students attend HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 298 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Approximately 15.7:1 students per teacher at HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
How diverse is HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports a student body of 19% White, 71% Hispanic, 6% Black, 0% Asian, 2% Two or more.
What district is HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in?
HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is part of HARDEE.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.