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What's something WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL does better than most schools?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
887
Elementary
DISTRICT 641 · STATE 604
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·POLK·NCES 120159001750
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
141 DAIRY RD, AUBURNDALE, FL 33823 · (863) 965-5470 · Polk County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL887 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 48% 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
16.4:1
54 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.3:1 · STATE 17.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
73%
645 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 30 | 3% |
| Kindergarten | 137 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 134 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 137 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 182 | 21% |
| Grade 4 | 134 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 133 | 15% |
This year's kindergarten class (137) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (133).
Student demographics
69%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
46.5%
FL avg 56.7% . +0.5pp since 2023
Math
53.7%
FL avg 58.9% . +2.8pp 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 54 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 are up about 3 points.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 46.5% | 53.7% |
| 2023-24 | 46.0% | 50.8% |
% 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
50.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
44.7%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+5.9pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 51% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 45% 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 WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (50.6% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 887 | 72.7% | 50.6% |
| LEGACY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OCALA | 753 | 71.0% | 32.8% |
| PINEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EAGLE LAKE | 740 | 73.0% | 46.9% |
| LENA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AUBURNDALE | 915 | 72.5% | 36.0% |
| RIVERS EDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PORT ST LUCIE | 778 | 67.2% | 64.2% |
| GREENWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OCALA | 720 | 68.5% | 45.1% |
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 WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Polk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 50.6% | #1,311 of 2,136 | #31 of 85 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 53.7% | #1,383 of 2,149 ▼ 41 | #32 of 86 ▲ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 46.5% | #1,475 of 2,149 ▼ 126 | #42 of 86 ▼ 4 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 887 | #325 of 2,267 | #16 of 89 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.4:1 | #1,244 of 2,077 | #28 of 85 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 69.2% | #270 of 2,108 | #13 of 85 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 72.7% | #358 of 2,188 | #43 of 88 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +38.8% | #82 of 621 | #5 of 35 |
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
887
+161 (+22%) vs 2020
+43% since 1990-91, when it was 620
Student : Teacher
16.4:1
was 16.9:1
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 | 887 | 54 | 16.4:1 | 73% (645) |
| 2023-24 | 895 | 55 | 16.3:1 | 72% (642) |
| 2022-23 | 895 | 51 | 17.6:1 | 58% (523) |
| 2020-21 | 726 | 43 | 16.9:1 | 61% (444) |
| 2017-18 | 639 | 39 | 16.4:1 | 61% (390) |
| 2015-16 | 652 | 41 | 15.9:1 | 66% (430) |
| 2010-11 | 661 | 47 | 14.1:1 | 75% (494) |
| 2000-01 | 623 | 32 | 19.5:1 | 62% (389) |
| 1990-91 | 620 | 29 | 21.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
In AUBURNDALE, Florida, WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a medium-sized elementary school. Enrollment in 2024-25 was 887 students in pre-K through 5. Against the 604-student average for elementary schools in Florida, enrollment here is 47% higher.
A total of 163 schools make up POLK, with 116,552 students enrolled.
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's enrollment has no majority group, and Hispanic students are the largest at 38%. The school is also 30% Black, 27% White, and 4% multiracial. The Hispanic share of the county population is lower, at 29%. The chance that two students picked at random at WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 69%.
Federal staffing data show 54 full-time-equivalent teachers at WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and a ratio of 16.4:1. That ratio is under the 17.5:1 average for elementary schools in Florida. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility covers 73% of students. Public schools in Polk County average 65%.
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is graded B- by allk12, scoring above 48% of Florida public elementary schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
In Florida, WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is in the middle band of BeatsExpectations: 50.6% actual against a predicted 44.7%.
Across Polk County, median household income is about $65,978, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 24%, and roughly 11% of residents are in poverty. WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is among the 172 public schools in Polk County.
The next-closest public school is AUBURNDALE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, about 0.6 miles away. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Its average proficiency rate of 50.6% is above the 41.5% average for nearby schools.
The school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more, according to its NCES locale (Suburb: Large).
The student count in 2024-25 was 887, 22% above the 726 of 2020-21.
Community posts for WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
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 AUBURNDALE
- AUBURNDALE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,770 students
- JERE L. STAMBAUGH MIDDLEMiddle · 1,013 students
- LENA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 915 students
- BERKLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 696 students
- BERKLEY ACCELERATEDMiddle · 622 students
- CLARENCE BOSWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 600 students
Nearby schools
- AUBURNDALE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL0.6 mi · 1,770
- JERE L. STAMBAUGH MIDDLE0.8 mi · 1,013
- AUBURNDALE CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.1 mi · 371
- HARTRIDGE ACADEMY1.8 mi · 200
- FRED G. GARNER ACADEMY2.1 mi · 817
- LENA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL2.6 mi · 915
Frequently asked questions
About WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHow many students attend WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 887 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Approximately 16.4:1 students per teacher at WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
How diverse is WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports a student body of 27% White, 38% Hispanic, 30% Black, 1% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in?
WALTER CALDWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is part of POLK.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.