Enrollment
376
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakeland, FL
Southwest Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001717
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools.
- #15 of 38
- schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- small classes for Florida
- 60.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Elementary School ranks #15 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest Elementary School
Southwest Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 376 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13:1, Southwest Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Florida schools and 27% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 376 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 517 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #257.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (39%) and White (33%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 376 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.4% 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 Southwest 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 Southwest Elementary School compares
Southwest 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 27% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.5% | ▲ 16% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 376 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
376
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 15% in Florida - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.4%
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 376 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 38.8%
White 32.7%
African American 21.0%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.4, Southwest 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 Southwest 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 Southwest 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 | 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 Southwest 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 (~376 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southwest 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 Southwest Elementary School
How many students attend Southwest Elementary School?
Southwest Elementary School has 376 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary School is 13:1, which is 27% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 17% 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 Southwest Elementary School?
60.5% of students at Southwest Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 38.8% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Elementary School?
Southwest Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Southwest Elementary School rank among schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Elementary School ranks #15 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 Southwest Elementary School a good school?
Southwest Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Southwest 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.