Enrollment
843
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bartow, FL
Spessard L Holland Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Spessard L Holland Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159007262
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spessard L Holland Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #5 of 9
- schools in Bartow · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 51.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Spessard L Holland Elementary has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spessard L Holland Elementary ranks #5 of 9 schools in Bartow, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spessard L Holland Elementary compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spessard L Holland Elementary
Spessard L Holland Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bartow, Florida, enrolling 843 students.
At 17.2:1, 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 51.7% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 843 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 941 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #665, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (35%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 843 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.5% 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 Spessard L Holland 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 Spessard L Holland Elementary compares
Spessard L Holland 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 | 17.2:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.7% | ▼ 1% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 843 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
843
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 57% in Florida - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.5%
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 843 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
45
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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
White 35.3%
Hispanic or Latino 30.0%
African American 28.5%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 35.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.2, Spessard L Holland 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 Spessard L Holland 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 Spessard L Holland 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 Spessard L Holland 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 (~843 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spessard L Holland Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Spessard L Holland 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 Spessard L Holland Elementary
How many students attend Spessard L Holland Elementary?
Spessard L Holland Elementary has 843 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bartow, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spessard L Holland Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Spessard L Holland Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 3% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 10% 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 Spessard L Holland Elementary?
51.7% of students at Spessard L Holland Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spessard L Holland Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Spessard L Holland Elementary is White at 35.3% of enrollment, in Bartow, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spessard L Holland Elementary?
Spessard L Holland Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Spessard L Holland Elementary rank among schools in Bartow?
By Resource Investment Index, Spessard L Holland Elementary ranks #5 of 9 schools in Bartow, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bartow on the city page.
Is Spessard L Holland Elementary a good school?
Spessard L Holland Elementary earns 30/100 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 Spessard L Holland 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.