Enrollment
667
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake Wales, FL
Hillcrest Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001775Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Lake Wales · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 54.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Lake Wales, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Elementary School
Hillcrest Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Lake Wales, Florida, enrolling 667 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.1% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 667 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 985 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #53, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.1% 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 Hillcrest Elementary School.
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 Hillcrest Elementary School compares
Hillcrest Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.1% | ▲ 4% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 667 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
667
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 35% in Florida - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.1%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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 44.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
African American 19.9%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 44.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Hillcrest Elementary School 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 Hillcrest Elementary School.
$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 Hillcrest Elementary School 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 Hillcrest Elementary School'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 (~667 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Elementary School 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 Hillcrest Elementary School
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary School?
Hillcrest Elementary School has 667 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake Wales, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary School is 15.2:1, which is 15% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 3% 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 Hillcrest Elementary School?
54.1% of students at Hillcrest Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Elementary School is White at 44.5% of enrollment, in Lake Wales, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary School?
Hillcrest Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hillcrest Elementary School rank among schools in Lake Wales?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Lake Wales, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lake Wales on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Elementary School a good school?
Hillcrest Elementary School earns 47/100 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 Hillcrest Elementary School, 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.