James W. Sikes Elementary School

Q: Is James W. Sikes Elementary School a good school?

James W. Sikes Elementary School ranks 884 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

James W. Sikes Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lakeland, Florida, serving 563 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in the state.

Despite higher per-student spending compared to nearby schools, James W. Sikes Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Florida elementary schools, with a 1- to 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's diverse student population, with 47.78% White, 12.43% African American, and 34.64% Hispanic students, faces challenges such as high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 12.9% to 30.8% over the past few years. Academically, the school's test scores in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are generally below the Polk County and Florida state averages, though there have been some exceptions, such as higher 3rd grade proficiency rates in 2023-2024.

Compared to nearby schools like Valleyview Elementary and Highlands Grove Elementary, James W. Sikes Elementary generally performs below average in terms of school ranking, test scores, and chronic absenteeism. This suggests that factors beyond just funding, such as attendance and resource allocation, may be crucial for improving the educational experience and outcomes for the students at James W. Sikes Elementary School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2727 Shepherd Rd
Lakeland, FL 33811

(863) 648-3525

District: Polk

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,513

Students who attend James W. Sikes Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mulberry Middle School
High:	Mulberry Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 551

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.2%

Hispanic:

34.3%

African American:

13.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.7%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

Compare James W. Sikes Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James W. Sikes Elementary School ranks better than 60.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 20^th among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.03. (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 James W. Sikes Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (47.2%), Hispanic (34.3%), African American (13.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 57.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James W. Sikes Elementary School is 14.1, which is the 14^th best among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare James W. Sikes Elementary School employs 39 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James W. Sikes Elementary School is $11,513, which is the 20^th highest among 85 elementary schools in the Polk School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

James W. Sikes Elementary 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 Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for James W. Sikes Elementary School.

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Rank History for James W. Sikes Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	53.26	814^th	1688	51.8%
2007	53.93	870^th	1786	51.3%
2008	56.03	830^th	1789	53.6%
2009	47.78	1037^th	1847	43.9%
2010	49.65	1039^th	1919	45.9%
2011	53.05	979^th	1985	50.7%
2012	44.21	1129^th	1984	43.1%
2013	42.29	1175^th	2029	42.1%
2014	41.02	1230^th	2064	40.4%
2016	47.97	1085^th	2087	48.0%
2017	52.28	1009^th	2112	52.2%
2018	54.21	928^th	2118	56.2%
2019	47.32	1144^th	2182	47.6%
2021	29.29	1594^th	2247	29.1%
2022	48.03	1113^th	2219	49.8%
2023	49.19	1115^th	2240	50.2%
2024	59.03	884^th	2256	60.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Thursday, July 24, 2014

I'm sure the test scores are probably correct, however I have 2 grandchildren attending Sikes. They are doing wonderful and love their school. One makes straight A's and the other is making A's & B's. I think it's amazing what they have learned in such a short time. Keep up the great work teachers and staff! Close Quote

Enrollment information for James W. Sikes Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	508	39	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	552
1989	537	44	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	585
1990	551	62	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	621
1991	585	57	2	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	656
1992	613	54	2	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	679
1993	497	64	3	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	577
1994	529	58	5	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	612
1995	534	57	5	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	617
1996	534	57	5	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	617
1997	512	51	10	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	601
1998	515	50	9	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	608
1999	525	49	8	48	2	n/a	n/a	0	632
2000	543	62	11	61	0	n/a	n/a	0	677
2001	557	56	5	69	1	n/a	n/a	0	688
2002	479	99	8	77	2	n/a	n/a	0	665
2003	479	99	8	77	2	n/a	n/a	0	665
2004	453	102	11	98	1	n/a	n/a	0	665
2005	479	79	13	120	2	n/a	n/a	0	693
2006	506	82	13	135	2	n/a	n/a	0	738
2007	512	94	12	177	2	n/a	n/a	41	838
2008	518	86	10	195	0	n/a	n/a	50	859
2009	510	93	12	216	0	n/a	n/a	69	900
2010	523	105	16	202	0	n/a	n/a	65	911
2011	498	100	18	242	6	0	41	0	905
2012	491	103	15	240	3	0	36	0	888
2013	482	95	16	249	3	0	27	0	872
2014	496	101	16	260	2	0	20	0	895
2015	487	95	8	258	1	0	24	0	873
2016	468	100	8	254	1	0	22	0	853
2017	466	107	10	260	1	0	20	0	864
2018	422	109	13	284	1	0	31	0	860
2019	401	96	13	291	3	0	33	0	837
2020	390	111	16	296	0	1	27	0	841
2021	341	90	11	270	1	1	18	0	732
2022	292	83	9	187	1	1	19	0	592
2023	269	70	7	195	1	1	20	0	563
2024	260	73	5	189	1	1	22	0	551

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 James W. Sikes Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	552	28.0	19.7	7.2
1989	585	30.0	19.5	16.4
1990	621	31.0	20.0	0
1991	656	34.0	19.2	22.6
1992	679	34.0	19.9	16.1
1993	577	28.0	20.6	19.8
1994	612	30.0	20.4	24.8
1995	617	30.0	20.6	25.8
1996	617	30.0	20.6	25.8
1997	601	32.0	18.8	31.8
1998	608	35.0	17.4	30.1
1999	632	35.0	18.1	40.3
2000	677	39.0	17.4	43.3
2001	688	42.0	16.4	43.9
2002	665	38.0	17.5	49.5
2003	665	38.0	17.5	49.5
2004	665	43.0	15.5	49.2
2005	693	45.0	15.4	46.9
2006	738	49.0	15.1	47.7
2007	838	57.0	14.7	48.6
2008	859	58.5	14.7	50.4
2009	900	70.5	15.0	42.4
2010	911	63.0	14.4	48.3
2011	905	59.0	15.3	53.7
2012	888	60.0	14.8	55.5
2013	872	59.0	14.7	56.5
2014	895	55.0	16.2	57.9
2015	873	58.0	15.0	55.1
2016	853	53.0	16.0	57.4
2017	864	55.0	15.7	46.8
2018	860	56.0	15.3	47.3
2019	837	53.0	15.7	45.6
2020	841	52.0	16.1	45.9
2021	732	50.0	14.6	51.9
2022	592	46.0	12.8	43.1
2023	563	39.0	14.4	36.8
2024	551	39.0	14.1	57.7

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 James W. Sikes Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	552	28.0	19.7	7.2
1989	585	30.0	19.5	16.4
1990	621	31.0	20.0	0
1991	656	34.0	19.2	22.6
1992	679	34.0	19.9	16.1
1993	577	28.0	20.6	19.8
1994	612	30.0	20.4	24.8
1995	617	30.0	20.6	25.8
1996	617	30.0	20.6	25.8
1997	601	32.0	18.8	31.8
1998	608	35.0	17.4	30.1
1999	632	35.0	18.1	40.3
2000	677	39.0	17.4	43.3
2001	688	42.0	16.4	43.9
2002	665	38.0	17.5	49.5
2003	665	38.0	17.5	49.5
2004	665	43.0	15.5	49.2
2005	693	45.0	15.4	46.9
2006	738	49.0	15.1	47.7
2007	838	57.0	14.7	48.6
2008	859	58.5	14.7	50.4
2009	900	70.5	15.0	42.4
2010	911	63.0	14.4	48.3
2011	905	59.0	15.3	53.7
2012	888	60.0	14.8	55.5
2013	872	59.0	14.7	56.5
2014	895	55.0	16.2	57.9
2015	873	58.0	15.0	55.1
2016	853	53.0	16.0	57.4
2017	864	55.0	15.7	46.8
2018	860	56.0	15.3	47.3
2019	837	53.0	15.7	45.6
2020	841	52.0	16.1	45.9
2021	732	50.0	14.6	51.9
2022	592	46.0	12.8	43.1
2023	563	39.0	14.4	36.8
2024	551	39.0	14.1	57.7

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 James W. Sikes Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$468 (6.4%)	$6,882 (93.6%)	$7,350
2019	$652 (8.2%)	$7,286 (91.8%)	$7,939
2020	$844 (10.4%)	$7,250 (89.6%)	$8,095
2021	$1,187 (13.3%)	$7,731 (86.7%)	$8,918
2022	$2,189 (18.8%)	$9,445 (81.2%)	$11,634
2023	$1,503 (13.1%)	$10,010 (86.9%)	$11,513

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James W. Sikes 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 1144^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1115^th of 2240 Elementary schools	2.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (James W. Sikes Elementary School)	59	56	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	52	48	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (James W. Sikes Elementary School)	65	57	8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	51	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (James W. Sikes Elementary School)	51	56	5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	46	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (James W. Sikes Elementary School)	59	53	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	56	50	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (James W. Sikes Elementary School)	45	49	4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (James W. Sikes Elementary School)	56	53	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (James W. Sikes Elementary School)	53	41	12%
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	837	563	32.7%
African American	96	70	27.1%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	13	7	46.2%
Hispanic	291	195	33%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	401	269	32.9%
Two or More Races	33	20	39.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.6%	36.8%	8.9%

Schools Near James W. Sikes 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
James W. Sikes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2727 Shepherd Rd	Lakeland	33811	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3525	551	39	14.1	57.7%	260 (47.2%)	73 (13.2%)	189 (34.3%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.0%)	59	884^th of 2256 public elementary schools	60.8%		49.2	1115^th of 2240 public elementary schools	50.2%	231	63.0	57.0	54.0	68.0	73.0	42.0	47.0	$11,513	$1,503	$10,010
Willow Oak School	Public	PK, KG-5	4815 Bailey Road	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 417-6670	902	59	15.2	78.4%	300 (33.3%)	64 (7.1%)	518 (57.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.9%)	31	1595^th of 2256 public elementary schools	29.3%		29.5	1625^th of 2240 public elementary schools	27.5%	30	39.0	36.0	48.0	49.0	43.0	60.0	44.0	$10,123	$1,747	$8,375
R. Bruce Wagner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5500 Yates Rd	Lakeland	33811	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1450	954	61	15.6	65.0%	368 (38.6%)	116 (12.2%)	418 (43.8%)	15 (1.6%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.5%)	49.2	1109^th of 2256 public elementary schools	50.8%		36.2	1435^th of 2240 public elementary schools	35.9%	326	59.0	53.0	53.0	54.0	49.0	54.0	52.0	$9,995	$1,734	$8,261
Rcma Mulberry Community Academy	Public, Charter	K-1	4438 Academy Dr	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(863) 425-9246	68	6	11.3	75.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Medulla Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	850 Schoolhouse Rd	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3515	503	30	16.7	76.9%	163 (32.4%)	118 (23.5%)	196 (39.0%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	31.3	1584^th of 2256 public elementary schools	29.8%		31	1585^th of 2240 public elementary schools	29.2%	1	57.0	39.0	45.0	38.0	42.0	41.0	47.0	$11,939	$1,735	$10,204
Purcell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	305 1st Ave NE	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1061	474	29	16.3	81.2%	194 (40.9%)	44 (9.3%)	224 (47.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	15.8	2015^th of 2256 public elementary schools	10.7%		21.4	1853^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	17.3%	162	32.0	38.0	46.0	39.0	26.0	31.0	25.0	$11,012	$2,048	$8,964
Scott Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1140 County Road 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3520	777	49	15.8	51.1%	429 (55.2%)	91 (11.7%)	200 (25.7%)	26 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.0%)	68.5	676^th of 2256 public elementary schools	70.0%		62.6	782^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	65.1%	106	65.0	59.0	58.0	76.0	66.0	59.0	55.0	$10,771	$1,706	$9,066
Springhead Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3208 Nesmith Rd	Plant City	33566	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 757-9321	715	47	15.3	73.3%	218 (30.5%)	34 (4.8%)	428 (59.9%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.3%)	47.3	1168^th of 2256 public elementary schools	48.2%		43.8	1233^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	45.0%	65	46.0	42.0	51.0	65.0	60.0	53.0	51.0	$10,190	$2,541	$7,650
Carlton Palmore Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3725 Clevelnd Hts Blvd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 648-3510	413	30	13.7	66.1%	187 (45.3%)	90 (21.8%)	111 (26.9%)	4 (1.0%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.9%)	26.7	1720^th of 2256 public elementary schools	23.8%		36.7	1423^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	36.5%	297	35.0	40.0	45.0	18.0	33.0	61.0	53.0	$12,393	$1,706	$10,687
Valleyview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 State Rd 540a E	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3535	817	52	15.7	38.9%	446 (54.6%)	115 (14.1%)	177 (21.7%)	58 (7.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.1%)	84.4	313^th of 2256 public elementary schools	86.1%		83.2	334^th of 2240 public elementary schools	85.1%	21	70.0	71.0	73.0	76.0	76.0	74.0	66.0	$9,589	$1,090	$8,499

Frequently Asked Questions about James W. Sikes Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of James W. Sikes Elementary School?

Students at James W. Sikes Elementary School are 47% White, 34% Hispanic, 13% African American, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend James W. Sikes Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 551 students attended James W. Sikes Elementary School.

What district is James W. Sikes Elementary School in?

Polk

Is James W. Sikes Elementary School a good school?

James W. Sikes Elementary School ranks 884^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of James W. Sikes Elementary School attend?

Students who attend James W. Sikes Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mulberry Middle School
High : Mulberry Senior High 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.