LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL operates as an average-sized elementary school in WINTER HAVEN, Florida, part of POLK. Current enrollment sits at 576 students spanning grades pre-K through 5.

Within POLK, which oversees 163 schools and 116,552 students, LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports that the largest single group is Black at 35%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school reports 33% Hispanic, 24% White, 6% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 15% Black, putting the school's mix noticeably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 20.6:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 78% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above Polk County's rate of about 65%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 42.3%; this one delivers 39.3%.

Across the wider county, Polk County reports that median household income runs about $65,978, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Across Polk County's 172 public schools (combined enrollment of about 117,004 students), LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is PINEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 1.1 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 4th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 39.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a suburban area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at LAKE SHIPP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has rose 15%, going from 500 students in 2018 to 576 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment edged up from 26% to 33% over that span. Class-load math has loosened: from 15.6:1 in 2018 to 20.6:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.