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What's the biggest difference between SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
746
Middle
DISTRICT 741 · STATE 794
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·POLK·NCES 120159001705
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL
2815 EDEN PKWY, LAKELAND, FL 33803 · (863) 499-2840 · Polk County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL746 STUDENTS
C-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 15% of Florida public middle schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C-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 middle schools
Student : Teacher
23.3:1
32 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 20.9:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
73%
547 students
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 50%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 233 | 31% |
| Grade 7 | 261 | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 252 | 34% |
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
43.0%
FL avg 56.7% . +12.2pp since 2023
Math
32.9%
FL avg 58.9% . +3.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 33 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 12 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 3 points.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 43.0% | 32.9% |
| 2023-24 | 30.8% | 29.9% |
% 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
35.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
44.4%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-9.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 35% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 44% 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 SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL's state test result (35.3% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL this school | 746 | 73.3% | 35.3% |
| LAKE ALFRED POLYTECH ACADEMY LAKE ALFRED | 734 | 72.8% | 45.0% |
| W. C. PRYOR MIDDLE SCHOOL FORT WALTON BEACH | 721 | 71.3% | 50.8% |
| EDWARD W BOK ACADEMY NORTH LAKE WALES | 726 | 71.5% | 52.7% |
| BOOKER MIDDLE SCHOOL SARASOTA | 811 | 73.2% | 43.8% |
| SOUTH SEMINOLE MIDDLE SCHOOL CASSELBERRY | 842 | 69.8% | 46.0% |
Matched among Florida middle 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 SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Polk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 35.3% | #509 of 560 | #16 of 24 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 32.9% | #537 of 560 ▼ 12 | #20 of 24 ▼ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 43.0% | #425 of 560 ▲ 64 | #14 of 24 ▲ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 746 | #336 of 584 | #11 of 26 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.3:1 | #510 of 547 | #20 of 24 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.8% | #93 of 553 | #5 of 24 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 73.3% | #41 of 565 | #10 of 25 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -4.2% | #328 of 379 | #10 of 13 |
Ranked against other public middle 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
746
+8 (+1%) vs 2020
-21% since 1990-91, when it was 949
Student : Teacher
23.3:1
was 16.8:1
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 | 746 | 32 | 23.3:1 | 73% (547) |
| 2023-24 | 745 | 42 | 17.7:1 | 72% (540) |
| 2022-23 | 801 | 46 | 17.4:1 | 63% (504) |
| 2020-21 | 738 | 44 | 16.8:1 | 58% (430) |
| 2017-18 | 779 | 46 | 16.9:1 | 60% (471) |
| 2015-16 | 712 | 54 | 13.2:1 | 63% (449) |
| 2010-11 | 921 | 58 | 15.9:1 | 72% (666) |
| 2000-01 | 914 | 57 | 16.0:1 | 48% (438) |
| 1990-91 | 949 | 51 | 18.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL.
About SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL is a mid-sized middle-grades school in POLK, located in LAKELAND, Florida. Federal data show 746 students enrolled in grades 6 through 8 in 2024-25.
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL is a school in POLK. The district has 163 schools and 116,552 students.
The student body at SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL has no majority group. Hispanic students lead at 42%. The next largest groups are 29% White, 23% Black, and 3% multiracial. The school's Hispanic share is 13 points above the 29% share among Polk County residents. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 68%.
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL has a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.3:1, with 32 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average for middle schools in Florida is 19.6:1, so this school has more students per teacher. A common income measure, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, is 73% at SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL. On average, public schools in Polk County report 65%.
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL earns a C- on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 15% of Florida public middle schools.
Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the BeatsExpectations model predicts an average proficiency rate across its state test results of 44.4% for SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL. The school posts 35.3%, 9.1 points below the prediction.
Census data for Polk County show the median household earns about $65,978 a year, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in Polk County number 172, with about 117,004 students.
Of the public schools around it, SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL is closest to SOUTHWEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, about 0.3 miles away. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL is 7th of 7 nearby schools by average proficiency rate.
For locale, NCES codes SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL as City: Mid-size.
The student count changed little between 2020-21 (738) and 2024-25 (746). Federal data show the ratio rising from 16.8:1 to 23.3:1.
This page is set up for the SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL community to discuss homework, tutoring, and testing dates. Members of the school community can share what they know.
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 LAKELAND
- GEORGE W. JENKINS SENIOR HIGHHigh · 2,469 students
- LAKELAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,985 students
- LAKE GIBSON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,973 students
- KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,861 students
- MCKEEL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGYHigh · 1,750 students
- SOUTH MCKEEL ACADEMYElementary · 1,200 students
Other Southwest Middle schools
14 other US public schools in 10 states are named Southwest Middle. SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL is the 7th largest of the 15.
- SOUTHWEST MIDDLEORLANDO, FL · 1,290 students
- SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOLPALM BAY, FL · 997 students
- Southwest Middle SchoolCharlotte, NC · 1,205 students
- SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOLSEARCY, AR · 913 students
- Southwest MiddleGastonia, NC · 832 students
Nearby schools
- SOUTHWEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.3 mi · 376
- CLEVELAND COURT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.6 mi · 374
- DIXIELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.9 mi · 344
- CARLTON PALMORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.4 mi · 402
- MAGNOLIA MONTESSORI ACADEMY1.7 mi · 182
- ROSABELLE W. BLAKE ACADEMY1.8 mi · 562
Frequently asked questions
About SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOLWhat is the total enrollment at SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL?
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL enrolls approximately 746 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL serve?
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL serves grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL is approximately 23.3:1 (32 FTE teachers).
How diverse is SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL?
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL reports a student body of 29% White, 42% Hispanic, 23% Black, 1% Asian, 3% Two or more.
What district is SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL in?
SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL is part of POLK.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.