Enrollment
887
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Auburndale, FL
Walter Caldwell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Walter Caldwell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001750
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter Caldwell Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Auburndale · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 58.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter Caldwell Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Caldwell Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Auburndale, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter Caldwell Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter Caldwell Elementary School
Walter Caldwell Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Auburndale, Florida, enrolling 887 students.
At 17.4:1, 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 58.3% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 887 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 946 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #822, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (38%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 887 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.8% 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.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Walter Caldwell 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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School compares
Walter Caldwell 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 | 17.4:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.3% | ▲ 12% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 887 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
887
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 59% in Florida - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.8%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 887 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.6 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 37.7%
African American 30.0%
White 27.4%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.1, Walter Caldwell 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 Walter Caldwell 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 Walter Caldwell 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 Walter Caldwell 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 (~887 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter Caldwell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Walter Caldwell 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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School
How many students attend Walter Caldwell Elementary School?
Walter Caldwell Elementary School has 887 students enrolled. It is a public school in Auburndale, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter Caldwell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter Caldwell Elementary School is 17.4:1, which is 2% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 11% 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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School?
58.3% of students at Walter Caldwell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter Caldwell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Walter Caldwell Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 37.7% of enrollment, in Auburndale, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter Caldwell Elementary School?
Walter Caldwell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Walter Caldwell Elementary School rank among schools in Auburndale?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Caldwell Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Auburndale, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Auburndale on the city page.
Is Walter Caldwell Elementary School a good school?
Walter Caldwell Elementary School earns 25/100 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 Walter Caldwell 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.