Wauchula Elementary School

Q: Is Wauchula Elementary School a good school?

Wauchula Elementary School ranks 906 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Wauchula Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Wauchula, Florida, with a student population of 616. The school is part of the Hardee School District, which is ranked 55 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Wauchula Elementary faces several key challenges. The school has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates (35.0%) compared to the Hardee district (33.9%) and nearby Zolfo Springs Elementary (34.2%). While Wauchula Elementary generally performs better than the Hardee district average on standardized tests, it lags behind the state averages. Additionally, the school has a very high percentage of students (75%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Interestingly, Wauchula Elementary spends more per student ($11,549) compared to the state average, which could be due to the high needs of the student population. The school's performance is better than other Hardee district elementary schools, but it still lags behind the higher-performing schools in the neighboring Highlands and Polk districts, such as Sun 'n Lake Elementary and Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

400 S Florida Ave
Wauchula, FL 33873

(863) 773-3141

District: Hardee

SchoolDigger Rank:
906^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,549

Students who attend Wauchula Elementary School usually attend:

High:	Hardee Junior High School
	Hardee Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.9

Number of students: 572

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.9%

White:

32.7%

African American:

9.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare Wauchula Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Wauchula Elementary School ranks better than 59.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks first among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Hardee School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.57. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Wauchula Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Hardee School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (54.9%), White (32.7%), African American (9.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wauchula Elementary School is 13.9, which is the lowest among 6 elementary schools in the Hardee School District! (See more...)

Compare Wauchula Elementary School employs 41 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wauchula Elementary School is $11,549. 3 elementary schools in the Hardee School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Wauchula Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Hardee:

SchoolDigger ranks Hardee 55^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Wauchula Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	51.20	845^th	1688	49.9%
2007	65.59	648^th	1786	63.7%
2008	57.01	805^th	1789	55.0%
2009	65.48	652^nd	1847	64.7%
2010	60.52	806^th	1919	58.0%
2011	50.59	1031^st	1985	48.1%
2012	53.09	932^nd	1984	53.0%
2013	57.40	849^th	2029	58.2%
2014	64.89	700^th	2064	66.1%
2016	54.77	939^th	2087	55.0%
2017	55.22	922^nd	2112	56.3%
2018	60.89	802^nd	2118	62.1%
2019	62.02	789^th	2182	63.8%
2021	42.88	1240^th	2247	44.8%
2022	45.78	1167^th	2219	47.4%
2023	61.39	805^th	2240	64.1%
2024	57.57	906^th	2256	59.8%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Wauchula Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	319	64	6	97	0	n/a	n/a	0	486
1989	343	68	4	128	0	n/a	n/a	0	543
1990	364	74	7	125	0	n/a	n/a	0	570
1991	393	66	1	140	0	n/a	n/a	0	600
1992	389	71	2	169	0	n/a	n/a	0	631
1993	362	76	2	237	0	n/a	n/a	0	677
1994	362	80	1	253	1	n/a	n/a	0	697
1995	321	73	1	240	2	n/a	n/a	0	637
1996	321	73	1	240	2	n/a	n/a	0	637
1997	340	101	2	278	0	n/a	n/a	0	721
1998	376	93	5	276	0	n/a	n/a	0	750
1999	379	97	1	268	0	n/a	n/a	0	745
2000	363	87	1	301	1	n/a	n/a	0	753
2001	353	72	2	316	0	n/a	n/a	0	743
2002	313	68	2	326	0	n/a	n/a	0	709
2003	313	68	2	326	0	n/a	n/a	0	709
2004	307	59	5	296	0	n/a	n/a	0	667
2005	321	60	4	310	1	n/a	n/a	0	696
2006	302	50	4	276	1	n/a	n/a	0	633
2007	267	52	2	261	1	n/a	n/a	15	598
2008	294	57	4	310	2	n/a	n/a	14	681
2009	319	65	7	321	1	n/a	n/a	16	729
2010	269	62	5	332	4	n/a	n/a	17	689
2011	271	64	4	359	2	0	12	0	712
2012	256	62	2	377	2	0	22	0	721
2013	278	57	2	364	1	0	23	0	725
2014	265	61	2	368	0	0	22	0	718
2015	250	66	3	369	0	0	23	0	711
2016	247	61	2	394	0	0	17	0	721
2017	254	75	4	363	0	0	15	0	711
2018	245	73	4	339	0	2	13	0	676
2019	244	79	1	330	0	2	17	0	673
2020	260	65	1	316	0	1	12	0	655
2021	249	58	0	301	0	1	10	0	619
2022	224	62	1	299	0	0	13	0	599
2023	225	66	1	309	0	0	15	0	616
2024	187	55	2	314	0	0	14	0	572

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Wauchula Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	486	33.0	14.7	43.6
1989	543	34.0	15.9	45.1
1990	570	35.0	16.2	47.2
1991	600	37.0	16.2	49.8
1992	631	36.0	17.5	50.1
1993	677	35.0	19.3	55.1
1994	697	38.0	18.3	60.1
1995	637	35.0	18.2	40.2
1996	637	35.0	18.2	40.2
1997	721	39.0	18.5	44.1
1998	750	37.0	20.3	53.6
1999	745	39.0	19.1	60.3
2000	753	37.0	20.4	68.7
2001	743	40.0	18.6	73.5
2002	709	37.0	19.2	59.2
2003	709	37.0	19.2	59.2
2004	667	42.0	15.9	68.8
2005	696	43.0	16.2	62.8
2006	633	41.0	15.4	58.1
2007	598	43.0	13.9	63
2008	681	47.0	14.5	62.4
2009	729	57.9	13.5	61.4
2010	689	53.0	13.0	69.3
2011	712	55.0	12.9	70.1
2012	721	56.0	12.8	73.9
2013	725	59.0	12.2	75
2014	718	52.0	13.8	71.6
2015	711	53.0	13.4	73
2016	721	51.0	14.1	58
2017	711	50.0	14.2	27
2018	676	53.0	12.7	64.8
2019	673	42.0	16.0	58.2
2020	655	46.0	14.2	62.9
2021	619	43.0	14.3	64.6
2022	599	46.0	13.0	56.9
2023	616	41.0	15.0	75
2024	572	41.0	13.9	65

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Wauchula Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	486	33.0	14.7	43.6
1989	543	34.0	15.9	45.1
1990	570	35.0	16.2	47.2
1991	600	37.0	16.2	49.8
1992	631	36.0	17.5	50.1
1993	677	35.0	19.3	55.1
1994	697	38.0	18.3	60.1
1995	637	35.0	18.2	40.2
1996	637	35.0	18.2	40.2
1997	721	39.0	18.5	44.1
1998	750	37.0	20.3	53.6
1999	745	39.0	19.1	60.3
2000	753	37.0	20.4	68.7
2001	743	40.0	18.6	73.5
2002	709	37.0	19.2	59.2
2003	709	37.0	19.2	59.2
2004	667	42.0	15.9	68.8
2005	696	43.0	16.2	62.8
2006	633	41.0	15.4	58.1
2007	598	43.0	13.9	63
2008	681	47.0	14.5	62.4
2009	729	57.9	13.5	61.4
2010	689	53.0	13.0	69.3
2011	712	55.0	12.9	70.1
2012	721	56.0	12.8	73.9
2013	725	59.0	12.2	75
2014	718	52.0	13.8	71.6
2015	711	53.0	13.4	73
2016	721	51.0	14.1	58
2017	711	50.0	14.2	27
2018	676	53.0	12.7	64.8
2019	673	42.0	16.0	58.2
2020	655	46.0	14.2	62.9
2021	619	43.0	14.3	64.6
2022	599	46.0	13.0	56.9
2023	616	41.0	15.0	75
2024	572	41.0	13.9	65

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Wauchula Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$871 (9.9%)	$7,960 (90.1%)	$8,831
2019	$868 (10.0%)	$7,772 (90.0%)	$8,639
2020	$990 (11.1%)	$7,923 (88.9%)	$8,914
2021	$1,309 (14.3%)	$7,841 (85.7%)	$9,150
2022	$2,041 (19.0%)	$8,728 (81.0%)	$10,770
2023	$2,669 (23.1%)	$8,880 (76.9%)	$11,549

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wauchula Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 789^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 805^th of 2240 Elementary schools	0.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wauchula Elementary School)	68	54	14%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hardee)	59	47	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wauchula Elementary School)	71	70	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hardee)	69	58	11%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wauchula Elementary School)	61	53	8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hardee)	57	57
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wauchula Elementary School)	77	54	23%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hardee)	73	68	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wauchula Elementary School)	50	49	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hardee)	48	54	6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wauchula Elementary School)	58	41	17%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hardee)	62	59	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Wauchula Elementary School)	53	43	10%
5th Grade Science (Hardee)	42	35	7%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	673	616	8.5%
African American	79	66	16.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	330	309	6.4%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	244	225	7.8%
Two or More Races	17	15	11.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	58.2%	75%	16.8%

Schools Near Wauchula Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wauchula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 S Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-3141	572	41	13.9	65.0%	187 (32.7%)	55 (9.6%)	314 (54.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.4%)	57.6	906^th of 2256 public elementary schools	59.8%		61.4	805^th of 2240 public elementary schools	64.1%	101	63.0	57.0	50.0	64.0	65.0	55.0	43.0	$11,549	$2,669	$8,880
Hardee Virtual Instruction Program (District Provided)	Public, Virtual	K-5	1009 N 6th Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 773-9058	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Wauchula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1120 N Florida Ave	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-2183	545	37	14.7	66.6%	153 (28.1%)	48 (8.8%)	332 (60.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	31.4	1582^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	29.9%		42.8	1259^th of 2240 public elementary schools	43.8%	323	46.0	50.0	38.0	49.0	51.0	38.0	36.0	$12,343	$3,086	$9,258
Hilltop Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2401 Us Highway 17 N	Wauchula	33873	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-2750	264	17	15.5	72.0%	52 (19.7%)	10 (3.8%)	186 (70.5%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.4%)	31.9	1567^th of 2256 public elementary schools	30.5%		33	1525^th of 2240 public elementary schools	31.9%	42	41.0	37.0	47.0	33.0	65.0	51.0	35.0	$12,524	$3,571	$8,953
Zolfo Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3215 School House Rd	Zolfo Springs	33890	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5473	550	38	14.4	72.2%	202 (36.7%)	11 (2.0%)	321 (58.4%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.0%)	35.5	1474^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.7%		37.9	1387^th of 2240 public elementary schools	38.1%	87	51.0	49.0	34.0	56.0	52.0	43.0	40.0	$11,274	$2,746	$8,529
Bowling Green Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4530 Church Ave	Bowling Green	33834	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5471	291	20	14.5	66.3%	84 (28.9%)	13 (4.5%)	191 (65.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.6	1501^st of 2256 public elementary schools	33.5%		39.1	1357^th of 2240 public elementary schools	39.4%	144	47.0	40.0	45.0	36.0	53.0	64.0	42.0	$14,807	$4,159	$10,648
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	610 Charleston Ave S	Fort Meade	33841	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 285-1133	587	38	15.4	79.9%	178 (30.3%)	70 (11.9%)	325 (55.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	27.4	1701^st of 2256 public elementary schools	24.6%		34.1	1495^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.3%	206	43.0	42.0	32.0	46.0	50.0	41.0	43.0	$11,889	$1,962	$9,927
Sun 'n Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4515 Ponce De Leon Blvd	Sebring	33872	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 471-5464	590	33	17.8	76.1%	230 (39.0%)	143 (24.2%)	159 (26.9%)	22 (3.7%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	31 (5.3%)	65.8	730^th of 2256 public elementary schools	67.6%		61.7	801^st of 2240 public elementary schools	64.2%	71	67.0	53.0	61.0	67.0	62.0	63.0	59.0	$10,756	$3,097	$7,659
Sebring Pre-K Center	Public	PK	3560 Us-27	Sebring	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(813) 314-5281	206	11	18.7	80.1%	84 (40.8%)	23 (11.2%)	89 (43.2%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (2.9%)								(n/a)
Avon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	705 Winthrop St	Avon Park	33825	Highlands County	Highlands	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 452-4355	553	29	19.4	86.1%	138 (25.0%)	115 (20.8%)	276 (49.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.8%)	35.8	1466^th of 2256 public elementary schools	35.0%		33.3	1511^th of 2240 public elementary schools	32.5%	45	57.0	42.0	37.0	66.0	52.0	40.0	37.0	$11,771	$3,676	$8,095

Frequently Asked Questions about Wauchula Elementary School

How many students attend Wauchula Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 572 students attended Wauchula Elementary School.

What district is Wauchula Elementary School in?

Hardee

What schools do graduates of Wauchula Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Wauchula Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Hardee Junior High School
High : Hardee Senior High School

Is Wauchula Elementary School a good school?

Wauchula Elementary School ranks 906^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Wauchula Elementary School?

Students at Wauchula Elementary School are 55% Hispanic, 33% White, 10% African American, 2% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.