Janie Howard Wilson School

Summary:

Janie Howard Wilson School is a public charter elementary school in Lake Wales, Florida, serving 448 students in grades PK-5. The school faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism, low academic performance, and a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

Janie Howard Wilson School has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.9% to 46.2% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the Polk district and Florida state averages. Academically, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math are 10-20 percentage points below the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 72.6% to 81.75%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Despite these challenges, Janie Howard Wilson School has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of approximately 20% White, 28% African American, and 47% Hispanic. This diversity is not reflected in the nearby schools, such as Dundee Elementary Academy and Chain of Lakes Elementary, which tend to have higher percentages of either White or Hispanic students. While Janie Howard Wilson School's spending per student has increased over the years, it is still lower than some of the nearby schools, such as Wahneta Elementary and Spook Hill Elementary.

Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-5

306 Florida Ave
Lake Wales, FL 33853

(863) 678-4211

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
2008^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,250

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 430

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.1%

African American:

35.6%

White:

17.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 74.2%

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Compare Janie Howard Wilson School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Janie Howard Wilson School ranks worse than 89% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 76^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.93. (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 Student population at Janie Howard Wilson School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (42.1%), African American (35.6%), White (17.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 74.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Janie Howard Wilson School is 13, which is the 8^th best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Janie Howard Wilson School employs 33 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Janie Howard Wilson School is $8,250. 80 elementary schools in the Polk School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Janie Howard Wilson School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Polk:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk 57^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Janie Howard Wilson School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	21.20	1388^th	1688	17.8%
2007	31.32	1287^th	1786	27.9%
2008	40.29	1133^rd	1789	36.7%
2009	47.50	1042^nd	1847	43.6%
2010	30.26	1431^st	1919	25.4%
2011	38.01	1303^rd	1985	34.4%
2012	31.74	1400^th	1984	29.4%
2013	17.87	1778^th	2029	12.4%
2014	18.70	1782^nd	2064	13.7%
2016	22.93	1664^th	2087	20.3%
2017	18.44	1829^th	2112	13.4%
2018	29.12	1542^nd	2118	27.2%
2019	26.60	1672^nd	2182	23.4%
2021	32.37	1509^th	2247	32.8%
2022	15.30	1993^rd	2219	10.2%
2023	22.24	1823^rd	2240	18.6%
2024	15.93	2008^th	2256	11.0%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, October 12, 2020

Janie Howard Wilson Elementary prepares students for the next grade level. I know my kids are going to a school where they are more than a number. I would recommend this school to anyone! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Janie Howard Wilson School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	264	255	0	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	556
1989	296	288	1	40	1	n/a	n/a	0	626
1990	259	246	0	46	2	n/a	n/a	0	553
1991	266	223	0	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	528
1992	239	223	1	41	0	n/a	n/a	0	504
1993	272	232	2	38	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
1994	300	223	3	55	0	n/a	n/a	0	581
1995	354	226	6	60	0	n/a	n/a	0	646
1996	354	226	6	60	0	n/a	n/a	0	646
1997	385	212	4	70	0	n/a	n/a	0	671
1998	347	197	3	72	0	n/a	n/a	0	619
1999	347	180	3	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	610
2000	326	162	3	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	571
2001	327	172	1	93	0	n/a	n/a	0	593
2002	269	138	0	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	483
2003	269	138	0	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	483
2004	298	191	0	99	0	n/a	n/a	0	588
2005	302	205	0	115	4	n/a	n/a	0	626
2006	284	203	0	126	4	n/a	n/a	0	617
2007	231	174	0	124	1	n/a	n/a	42	572
2008	238	174	0	111	2	n/a	n/a	42	567
2009	215	164	1	127	2	n/a	n/a	44	553
2010	211	156	1	105	2	n/a	n/a	32	507
2011	196	166	2	123	1	0	22	0	510
2012	194	146	2	131	1	0	21	0	495
2013	213	168	8	125	1	0	19	0	534
2014	169	158	9	126	1	0	18	0	481
2015	174	148	7	131	1	0	15	0	476
2016	136	152	4	148	0	0	15	0	455
2017	122	136	4	153	0	0	17	0	432
2018	110	139	1	144	1	0	8	0	403
2019	112	119	0	168	1	0	9	0	409
2020	95	123	0	185	1	0	11	0	415
2021	75	120	1	159	3	0	7	0	365
2022	70	134	2	166	3	3	11	0	389
2023	91	126	2	210	2	2	15	0	448
2024	76	153	4	181	2	1	13	0	430

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 Janie Howard Wilson School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	556	34.0	16.3	59.2
1989	626	33.0	18.9	64.1
1990	553	31.0	17.8	14.5
1991	528	28.0	18.8	73.5
1992	504	33.0	15.2	67.7
1993	544	27.0	20.1	63.6
1994	581	31.0	18.7	63.7
1995	646	31.0	20.8	79.6
1996	646	31.0	20.8	79.6
1997	671	31.0	21.6	67.7
1998	619	34.0	18.2	70.4
1999	610	35.0	17.4	74.4
2000	571	37.0	15.4	78.6
2001	593	32.0	18.5	86.7
2002	483	30.0	16.1	79.3
2003	483	30.0	16.1	79.3
2004	588	34.0	17.3	80.4
2005	626	43.0	14.6	56.9
2006	617	43.0	14.3	84
2007	572	43.0	13.3	88.5
2008	567	43.5	13.0	84.6
2009	553	50.0	13.0	88.6
2010	507	37.0	13.7	92.4
2011	510	36.0	14.1	90.2
2012	495	37.0	13.3	92.5
2013	534	35.0	15.2	94
2014	481	35.0	13.7	63.4
2015	476	34.0	14.0	100
2016	455	34.0	13.3	77.8
2017	432	40.0	10.8	10
2018	403	42.0	9.5	79.7
2019	409	23.0	17.7	75.3
2020	415	23.0	18.0	78.8
2021	365	23.0	15.8	72.6
2022	389	27.0	14.4	81.7
2023	448	29.0	15.4	74.6
2024	430	33.0	13.0	74.2

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 Janie Howard Wilson School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	556	34.0	16.3	59.2
1989	626	33.0	18.9	64.1
1990	553	31.0	17.8	14.5
1991	528	28.0	18.8	73.5
1992	504	33.0	15.2	67.7
1993	544	27.0	20.1	63.6
1994	581	31.0	18.7	63.7
1995	646	31.0	20.8	79.6
1996	646	31.0	20.8	79.6
1997	671	31.0	21.6	67.7
1998	619	34.0	18.2	70.4
1999	610	35.0	17.4	74.4
2000	571	37.0	15.4	78.6
2001	593	32.0	18.5	86.7
2002	483	30.0	16.1	79.3
2003	483	30.0	16.1	79.3
2004	588	34.0	17.3	80.4
2005	626	43.0	14.6	56.9
2006	617	43.0	14.3	84
2007	572	43.0	13.3	88.5
2008	567	43.5	13.0	84.6
2009	553	50.0	13.0	88.6
2010	507	37.0	13.7	92.4
2011	510	36.0	14.1	90.2
2012	495	37.0	13.3	92.5
2013	534	35.0	15.2	94
2014	481	35.0	13.7	63.4
2015	476	34.0	14.0	100
2016	455	34.0	13.3	77.8
2017	432	40.0	10.8	10
2018	403	42.0	9.5	79.7
2019	409	23.0	17.7	75.3
2020	415	23.0	18.0	78.8
2021	365	23.0	15.8	72.6
2022	389	27.0	14.4	81.7
2023	448	29.0	15.4	74.6
2024	430	33.0	13.0	74.2

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 Janie Howard Wilson School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,038 (14.6%)	$6,050 (85.4%)	$7,088
2019	$764 (9.7%)	$7,151 (90.3%)	$7,915
2020	$639 (9.0%)	$6,448 (91.0%)	$7,087
2021	$995 (13.5%)	$6,390 (86.5%)	$7,385
2022	$1,085 (14.1%)	$6,619 (85.9%)	$7,703
2023	$1,393 (16.9%)	$6,857 (83.1%)	$8,250

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Janie Howard Wilson 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 1672^nd of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1823^rd of 2240 Elementary schools	4.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Janie Howard Wilson School)	50	38	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Janie Howard Wilson School)	51	44	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Janie Howard Wilson School)	44	28	16%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Janie Howard Wilson School)	50	29	21%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Janie Howard Wilson School)	35	27	8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Janie Howard Wilson School)	54	35	19%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Janie Howard Wilson School)	29	28	1%
5th Grade Science (Polk)	45	39	6%
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	409	448	9.5%
African American	119	126	5.9%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	168	210	25%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	112	91	18.8%
Two or More Races	9	15	66.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	75.3%	74.6%	0.8%

Schools Near Janie Howard Wilson 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
Janie Howard Wilson School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	306 Florida Ave	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 678-4211	430	33	13.0	74.2%	76 (17.7%)	153 (35.6%)	181 (42.1%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (3.0%)	15.9	2008^th of 2256 public elementary schools	11.0%		22.2	1823^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	18.6%	185	33.0	36.0	39.0	38.0	44.0	26.0	31.0	$8,250	$1,393	$6,857
Spook Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	321 Dr Ja Wiltshire Ave E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4262	547	34	16.0	83.4%	182 (33.3%)	147 (26.9%)	194 (35.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.3%)	28	1683^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	25.4%		17.1	1978^th of 2240 public elementary schools	11.7%	295	40.0	38.0	47.0	38.0	41.0	42.0	56.0	$11,767	$2,765	$9,002
Polk Avenue Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	110 Polk Ave E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4244	534	31	17.2	73.6%	143 (26.8%)	139 (26.0%)	233 (43.6%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.7%)	25.1	1766^th of 2256 public elementary schools	21.7%		13.5	2067^th of 2240 public elementary schools	7.7%	301	41.0	34.0	40.0	47.0	54.0	38.0	33.0	$7,978	$1,511	$6,466
Hillcrest Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1051 State Road 60 E	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4216	665	46	14.4	59.5%	310 (46.6%)	146 (22.0%)	171 (25.7%)	6 (0.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.4%)	64.8	758^th of 2256 public elementary schools	66.4%		63.1	770^th of 2240 public elementary schools	65.6%	12	60.0	52.0	57.0	73.0	71.0	62.0	52.0	$7,531	$737	$6,794
South Pointe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9525 State Hwy 653	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(863) 317-8317	494	25	19.7	68.8%	161 (32.6%)	123 (24.9%)	185 (37.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)								(n/a)	52.0	44.0	42.0	53.0	50.0	41.0	29.0
Chain Of Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7001 State Highway 653	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 326-5388	1,008	67	15.0	51.5%	366 (36.3%)	205 (20.3%)	340 (33.7%)	59 (5.9%)	6 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	29 (2.9%)	71.6	603^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	73.3%		52.2	1043^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	53.4%	440	65.0	58.0	60.0	71.0	69.0	63.0	64.0	$9,946	$1,793	$8,153
Garden Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4599 Cypress Gardens Rd	Winter Haven	33884	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5396	691	38	18.1	68.5%	243 (35.2%)	185 (26.8%)	226 (32.7%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.1%)	41.7	1300^th of 2256 public elementary schools	42.4%		28.5	1648^th of 2240 public elementary schools	26.4%	348	45.0	41.0	55.0	45.0	58.0	70.0	42.0	$8,685	$1,336	$7,349
Dale R Fair Babson Park Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	815 Scenic Hwy N	Babson Park	33827	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4664	465	28	16.6	41.3%	336 (72.3%)	32 (6.9%)	84 (18.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.2%)	70.6	625^th of 2256 public elementary schools	72.3%		75.7	490^th of 2240 public elementary schools	78.1%	135	66.0	65.0	59.0	71.0	60.0	64.0	61.0	$8,087	$966	$7,121
Dundee Elementary Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	215 Frederick Ave	Dundee	33838	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 421-3316	636	38	16.7	61.3%	198 (31.1%)	94 (14.8%)	322 (50.6%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.2%)	76.1	500^th of 2256 public elementary schools	77.8%		66.6	704^th of 2240 public elementary schools	68.6%	204	63.0	60.0	70.0	65.0	69.0	82.0	65.0	$10,218	$1,489	$8,729
Alturas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	420 4th St	Alturas	33820	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 519-3917	296	19	15.5	78.4%	193 (65.2%)	23 (7.8%)	68 (23.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)	58.2	894^th of 2256 public elementary schools	60.4%		52.3	1037^th of 2240 public elementary schools	53.7%	143	55.0	51.0	58.0	62.0	54.0	56.0	75.0	$10,451	$1,519	$8,931

Frequently Asked Questions about Janie Howard Wilson School

What is the racial makeup of Janie Howard Wilson School?

Students at Janie Howard Wilson School are 42% Hispanic, 36% African American, 18% White, 3% Two or more races.

Is Janie Howard Wilson School a good school?

Janie Howard Wilson School ranks in the bottom 11.0% of Florida elementary schools.

What district is Janie Howard Wilson School in?

Polk

How many students attend Janie Howard Wilson School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 430 students attended Janie Howard Wilson School.

Rate Janie Howard Wilson School!

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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.