Enrollment
488
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakeland, FL
Medulla Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Medulla Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001715
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Medulla Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of Florida schools.
- #29 of 38
- schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.9:1
- small classes for Florida
- 59.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Medulla Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 78% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Medulla Elementary School ranks #29 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Medulla Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Medulla Elementary School
Medulla Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 488 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.0% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 488 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 817 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #613, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (28%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 488 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.7% 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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Medulla 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 Medulla Elementary School compares
Medulla 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 22% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.0% | ▲ 13% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 488 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
488
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 22% in Florida - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.7%
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 488 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 41.8%
White 28.3%
African American 24.4%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, Medulla 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 Medulla 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 Medulla 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Medulla 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 (~488 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Medulla Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Medulla 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 Medulla Elementary School
How many students attend Medulla Elementary School?
Medulla Elementary School has 488 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Medulla Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Medulla Elementary School is 13.9:1, which is 22% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 11% 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 Medulla Elementary School?
59.0% of students at Medulla Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Medulla Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Medulla Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 41.8% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Medulla Elementary School?
Medulla Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Medulla Elementary School rank among schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Medulla Elementary School ranks #29 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 Medulla Elementary School a good school?
Medulla Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of Florida schools. 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 Medulla 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.