Enrollment
764
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakeland, FL
Wendell Watson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wendell Watson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159002893
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 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
Wendell Watson Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools.
- #25 of 38
- schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.9:1
- small classes for Florida
- 40.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Wendell Watson Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wendell Watson Elementary School ranks #25 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wendell Watson Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wendell Watson Elementary School
Wendell Watson Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 764 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.9:1, Wendell Watson Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Florida schools and 28% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 764 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 782 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #647, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 764 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.1% 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 Wendell Watson 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 Wendell Watson Elementary School compares
Wendell Watson 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 28% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.1% | ▼ 23% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 764 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
764
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 28% 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
49.1%
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 764 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 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 47.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.1%
African American 14.4%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 47.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.6, Wendell Watson 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 Wendell Watson 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 Wendell Watson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wendell Watson 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 (~764 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wendell Watson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wendell Watson 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 Wendell Watson Elementary School
How many students attend Wendell Watson Elementary School?
Wendell Watson Elementary School has 764 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wendell Watson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wendell Watson Elementary School is 12.9:1, which is 28% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% 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 Wendell Watson Elementary School?
40.1% of students at Wendell Watson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wendell Watson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wendell Watson Elementary School is White at 47.1% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wendell Watson Elementary School?
Wendell Watson Elementary School 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 Wendell Watson Elementary School rank among schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Wendell Watson Elementary School ranks #25 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 Wendell Watson Elementary School a good school?
Wendell Watson Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts 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 Wendell Watson 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.