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Polk Schools

Schools graded

152

Cities served

Students

111,041

Students per teacher

18.8

Grades

Pre-K to 12

Area

1,798 sq mi

State

Polk is a public school district in Florida, based in Polk County (Bartow). SchoolGrade grades 152 of its schools on actual versus projected test scores; every school below has its own page.

Polk on the map

Click a type to show or hide its schools.

District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Each marker is a graded school; click it for its grade and scores.

District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file; each dot is a graded school, tap or hover for its name.

SchoolGrade summary for Polk

Average SchoolGrade

C+

Meeting or exceeding expectations

83%

Exceeding

46%

Avg actual scores

40.3%

Avg projected

37.2%

141 of 152 schools in Polk carry a SchoolGrade (11 have too little test data to grade). Grade distribution:

A: 28B: 33C: 57D: 18F: 5

Best schools in Polk

Statewide rankings: all 579 high schools in Florida · all 539 middle schools in Florida · all 2114 elementary schools in Florida

The ten highest SchoolGrades in the district. Grades reward actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact.

A+ Lakeland Montessori Middle School (Middle school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A+ Lincoln Avenue Academy (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A+ Lakeland Montessori School House (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A+ Magnolia Montessori Academy (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A+ Mckeel Academy Central (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A+ Hartridge Academy (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A+ Lawton Chiles Middle Academy (Middle school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A+ Berkley Accelerated Middle School (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A Mckeel Academy Of Technology (High school, greatly exceeds expectations)
A Polk Pre Collegiate Academy (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)

Every school in Polk

Where Polk schools are

Cities and towns served (18)

About this district

State: Best schools in Florida
County: Polk County
Type: regular local school district
Setting: large suburb (NCES locale of the district office)
Enrollment: 111,041 students with 5,907 full-time-equivalent teachers and 13,596 total staff FTE (NCES CCD, 2023-24)
NCES district ID: 1201590
Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model: each school's actual proficiency against the level projected for its student context. How SchoolGrade works

Nearby school districts

Hardee (9 schools, 33 mi)
Osceola (76 schools, 35 mi)
Hillsborough (282 schools, 42 mi)
Orange (256 schools, 45 mi)
Highlands (19 schools, 47 mi)
Desoto (9 schools, 53 mi)
Manatee (73 schools, 54 mi)
Pasco (97 schools, 56 mi)

Questions about Polk

How many schools are in Polk?

SchoolGrade grades 152 public schools in Polk, across 18 cities and towns. Every one of them is listed on this page with a link to its own report.

Which cities does Polk serve?

The largest by graded schools: Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Lake Wales, Auburndale and 13 more.

How good are the schools in Polk?

Across the 141 graded schools, the average SchoolGrade is C+, with 40.3% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 37.2%. 83% of schools meet or exceed the expectation for their student context.

How many students attend Polk?

111,041 students were enrolled in Polk in the 2023-24 school year, about 18.8 students per full-time teacher (NCES Common Core of Data).

Where is Polk?

Polk is in Florida, based in Polk County, with its district office in Bartow. Its boundary covers about 1,798 sq mi.