Enrollment
531
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakeland, FL
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Edgar L. Padgett Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001780
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #36 of 38
- schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 57.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Edgar L. Padgett Elementary ranks #36 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Edgar L. Padgett Elementary compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Edgar L. Padgett Elementary
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 531 students.
At 16.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.3% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 531 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 887 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #785, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 531 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary.
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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary compares
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.3% | ▲ 10% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 531 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
531
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 51% in Florida - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.0%
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 531 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 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 36.9%
Hispanic or Latino 31.6%
African American 25.6%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 36.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.7, Edgar L. Padgett Elementary 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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary.
$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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Edgar L. Padgett Elementary'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 other 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 (~531 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Edgar L. Padgett Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Edgar L. Padgett Elementary 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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary
How many students attend Edgar L. Padgett Elementary?
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary has 531 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Edgar L. Padgett Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Edgar L. Padgett Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 7% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 6% higher 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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary?
57.3% of students at Edgar L. Padgett Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Edgar L. Padgett Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Edgar L. Padgett Elementary is White at 36.9% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Edgar L. Padgett Elementary?
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary rank among schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Edgar L. Padgett Elementary ranks #36 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lakeland on the city page.
Is Edgar L. Padgett Elementary a good school?
Edgar L. Padgett Elementary earns 26/100 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 Edgar L. Padgett Elementary, 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.