MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL

MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL is an elementary school of moderately sized scale in LAKELAND, Florida, run under POLK, works with 610 students in grades pre-K through 6.

POLK comprises 163 schools with combined enrollment of 116,552 students; MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL is among them.

Looking at the student body, MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL lists that White students make up the majority at 58%. Beyond that, the school reports 21% Hispanic, 14% Black, 4% multiracial, 2% Asian. Compared to Polk County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.5:1. The state averages around 17.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 36% of students at MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL qualify 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 somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL sits in the top 10% of Florida schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 62.9%; actual is 82.0%, +19.1 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Across the wider county, census data for Polk County shows median household earnings sit near $65,978, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Across Polk County's 172 public schools (combined enrollment of about 117,004 students), MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: LAWTON CHILES MIDDLE ACADEMY, around 0.1 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 62.9%.

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

Looking at the recent track record. MCKEEL ACADEMY CENTRAL's enrollment has rose 4% since 2018, when it stood at 588 (now 610). Over the same period, the White share shrank from 69% to 58%.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.