Enrollment
462
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake Wales, FL
Janie Howard Wilson School
Federal NCES profile for Janie Howard Wilson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001778Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Janie Howard Wilson School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #6 of 7
- schools in Lake Wales · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 70.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Janie Howard Wilson School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Janie Howard Wilson School ranks #6 of 7 schools in Lake Wales, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Janie Howard Wilson School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Janie Howard Wilson School
Janie Howard Wilson School is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Lake Wales, Florida, enrolling 462 students.
At 15.9:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 462 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 761 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #720, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and African American (38%) (diversity index 66/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.8% 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.
Discipline events run high: 109 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 462 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Janie Howard Wilson 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 Janie Howard Wilson School compares
Janie Howard Wilson 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.1% | ▲ 35% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 462 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
462
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 43% in Florida - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.8%
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
58
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 40.3%
African American 38.3%
White 18.2%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Janie Howard Wilson School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Janie Howard Wilson 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 Janie Howard Wilson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Janie Howard Wilson 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 (~462 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Janie Howard Wilson School's federal record.
- Compare Janie Howard Wilson 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 Janie Howard Wilson School
How many students attend Janie Howard Wilson School?
Janie Howard Wilson School has 462 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake Wales, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Janie Howard Wilson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Janie Howard Wilson School is 15.9:1, which is 11% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 1% 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 Janie Howard Wilson School?
70.1% of students at Janie Howard Wilson School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Janie Howard Wilson School?
The largest demographic group at Janie Howard Wilson School is Hispanic or Latino at 40.3% of enrollment, in Lake Wales, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Janie Howard Wilson School?
Janie Howard Wilson School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 Janie Howard Wilson School rank among schools in Lake Wales?
By Resource Investment Index, Janie Howard Wilson School ranks #6 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 Janie Howard Wilson School a good school?
Janie Howard Wilson School earns 22/100 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 Janie Howard Wilson 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.