Enrollment
524
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bartow, FL
Bartow Elementary Academy
Federal NCES profile for Bartow Elementary Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120159001755
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bartow Elementary Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #3 of 16
- public schools in Bartow · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 31.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Bartow Elementary Academy has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bartow Elementary Academy ranks #3 of 16 public schools in Bartow, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bartow Elementary Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bartow Elementary Academy
Bartow Elementary Academy is a mid-sized elementary school in Bartow, Florida, enrolling 524 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 524 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 400 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #250.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 524 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Bartow Elementary Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bartow Elementary Academy compares
Bartow Elementary Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.1% | ▼ 40% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 524 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
524
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 38% in Florida - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,454
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 524 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 50.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
African American 16.4%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Bartow Elementary Academy is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Bartow Elementary Academy.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bartow Elementary Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bartow Elementary Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~524 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bartow Elementary Academy's federal record.
- Compare Bartow Elementary Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Polk's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bartow Elementary Academy
How many students attend Bartow Elementary Academy?
Bartow Elementary Academy has 524 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bartow, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bartow Elementary Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bartow Elementary Academy is 15.4:1, which is 13% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bartow Elementary Academy?
31.1% of students at Bartow Elementary Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bartow Elementary Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bartow Elementary Academy is White at 50.8% of enrollment, in Bartow, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bartow Elementary Academy?
Bartow Elementary Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bartow Elementary Academy rank among public schools in Bartow?
By Resource Investment Index, Bartow Elementary Academy ranks #3 of 16 public schools in Bartow, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bartow on the city page.
Is Bartow Elementary Academy a good school?
Bartow Elementary Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Polk?
Besides Bartow Elementary Academy, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.