Compass Middle Charter School

Summary:

Compass Middle Charter School is a public charter middle school located in Bartow, Florida, serving grades 5-8 with a student population of 153. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compass Middle Charter School faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 36.6% in 2019-2020 to 62.0% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores are also consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math ranging from 15% to 35% in 2023-2024, compared to the state averages of 50% to 56%. Additionally, Compass Middle Charter School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 71.51% in 2020-2021 to 79.08% in 2022-2023, suggesting a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Compass Middle Charter School to nearby public middle schools, such as Union Academy, which is located just 1.46 miles away, it becomes evident that the charter school is underperforming academically. Union Academy consistently outperforms Compass Middle Charter School on test scores and has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate. Despite the diverse student population at Compass Middle Charter School, with a racial makeup that is roughly 22% White, 24% African American, and 50% Hispanic, the school's performance has not shown significant improvement over the years, and its 0-star rating from SchoolDigger has remained unchanged since 2012-2013.

Detail:

Public, Charter 5-8

550 Clower St E
Bartow, FL 33830

(863) 519-8701

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
1144^th of 1,196 Florida Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,527

Student/teacher ratio: 20.1

Number of students: 161

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.6%

African American:

29.2%

White:

26.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Compass Middle Charter School ranks worse than 95.7% of middle schools in Florida. It also ranks last among 26 ranked middle schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.54. (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 Compass Middle Charter School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (41.6%), African American (29.2%), White (26.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Compass Middle Charter School is 20.1, which is the 13^th best among 26 middle schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Compass Middle Charter School employs 8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Compass Middle Charter School is $8,527. 17 middle schools in the Polk School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Compass Middle Charter School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Compass Middle Charter School 1144^th of 1196 Florida public middle schools. (See Compass Middle Charter School in the ranking list.)

Polk:

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

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Rank History for Compass Middle Charter School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	6.03	555^th	593	6.4%
2005	5.70	569^th	602	5.5%
2006	9.03	601^st	675	11.0%
2007	4.07	695^th	736	5.6%
2008	3.82	701^st	740	5.3%
2009	5.91	715^th	780	8.3%
2010	7.52	758^th	839	9.7%
2011	14.77	757^th	891	15.0%
2012	11.57	785^th	897	12.5%
2013	8.41	864^th	956	9.6%
2014	2.89	955^th	999	4.4%
2016	9.44	919^th	997	7.8%
2017	7.57	965^th	1031	6.4%
2018	4.23	999^th	1035	3.5%
2019	7.33	1029^th	1099	6.4%
2021	10.24	1066^th	1136	6.2%
2022	6.33	1094^th	1148	4.7%
2023	2.99	1156^th	1177	1.8%
2024	4.54	1144^th	1196	4.3%

See the entire list of Florida Middle 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 Compass Middle Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	48	28	1	23	1	n/a	n/a	0	101
2003	48	28	1	23	1	n/a	n/a	0	101
2004	80	53	1	25	2	n/a	n/a	0	161
2005	95	61	1	34	2	n/a	n/a	0	193
2006	102	49	0	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	178
2007	89	55	0	36	0	n/a	n/a	1	181
2008	82	64	1	41	0	n/a	n/a	3	191
2009	78	60	0	40	0	n/a	n/a	5	183
2010	62	45	0	26	0	n/a	n/a	5	138
2011	68	70	0	28	1	0	6	0	173
2012	73	66	0	45	1	0	3	0	188
2013	62	52	1	43	2	0	3	0	163
2014	64	50	1	61	3	0	5	0	184
2015	48	58	0	68	2	0	5	0	181
2016	36	48	1	71	2	0	1	0	159
2017	39	41	1	59	1	0	0	0	141
2018	31	43	1	68	0	0	1	0	144
2019	31	35	0	53	0	0	4	0	123
2020	42	46	1	76	0	0	6	0	171
2021	36	52	1	76	0	0	7	0	172
2022	36	47	2	73	0	0	7	0	165
2023	34	36	1	77	0	1	4	0	153
2024	42	47	1	67	0	0	4	0	161

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 Compass Middle Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	101	5.0	20.2	78.2
2003	101	5.0	20.2	78.2
2004	161	11.0	14.6	71.4
2005	193	13.0	14.8	69.9
2006	178	12.0	14.8	77
2007	181	10.0	18.1	77.2
2008	191	10.0	19.1	81.9
2009	183	12.9	16.6	82
2010	138	10.0	13.8	82.7
2011	173	12.0	14.4	78.6
2012	188	14.0	13.4	86.7
2013	163	12.0	13.5	90.2
2014	184	10.0	18.4	65.2
2015	181	9.0	20.1	73.5
2016	159	9.0	17.6	73.6
2017	141	10.0	14.1	73
2018	144	9.0	16.0	75.7
2019	123	6.0	20.5	78
2020	171	7.0	24.4	74.3
2021	172	8.0	21.5	71.5
2022	165	8.0	20.6	78.2
2023	153	8.0	19.1	79.1
2024	161	8.0	20.1	82

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 Compass Middle Charter School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	101	5.0	20.2	78.2
2003	101	5.0	20.2	78.2
2004	161	11.0	14.6	71.4
2005	193	13.0	14.8	69.9
2006	178	12.0	14.8	77
2007	181	10.0	18.1	77.2
2008	191	10.0	19.1	81.9
2009	183	12.9	16.6	82
2010	138	10.0	13.8	82.7
2011	173	12.0	14.4	78.6
2012	188	14.0	13.4	86.7
2013	163	12.0	13.5	90.2
2014	184	10.0	18.4	65.2
2015	181	9.0	20.1	73.5
2016	159	9.0	17.6	73.6
2017	141	10.0	14.1	73
2018	144	9.0	16.0	75.7
2019	123	6.0	20.5	78
2020	171	7.0	24.4	74.3
2021	172	8.0	21.5	71.5
2022	165	8.0	20.6	78.2
2023	153	8.0	19.1	79.1
2024	161	8.0	20.1	82

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 Compass Middle Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$783 (12.0%)	$5,731 (88.0%)	$6,514
2019	$1,060 (15.8%)	$5,646 (84.2%)	$6,706
2020	$807 (13.5%)	$5,160 (86.5%)	$5,967
2021	$1,055 (16.7%)	$5,280 (83.3%)	$6,335
2022	$2,269 (28.5%)	$5,694 (71.5%)	$7,963
2023	$1,839 (21.6%)	$6,688 (78.4%)	$8,527

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Compass Middle Charter 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 1029^th of 1099 Middle schools	Ranks 1156^th of 1177 Middle schools	4.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Compass Middle Charter School)	8	19	11%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	47	44	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Compass Middle Charter School)	32	9	23%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	51	40	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Compass Middle Charter School)	8	13	5%
5th Grade Science (Polk)	45	39	6%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Compass Middle Charter School)	31	16	15%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	48	43	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	54	52	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Compass Middle Charter School)	29	11	18%
6th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	47	37	10%
6th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	55	49	6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Compass Middle Charter School)	10	13	3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	42	38	4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	52	48	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Compass Middle Charter School)	12	13	1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Polk)	39	35	4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	54	46	8%
End of Course Civics (Compass Middle Charter School)	14	17	3%
End of Course Civics (Polk)	70	65	5%
End of Course Civics (Florida)	71	66	5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	123	153	24.4%
African American	35	36	2.9%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	53	77	45.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	31	34	9.7%
Two or More Races	4	4
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78%	79.1%	1%

Schools Near Compass Middle Charter 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)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Civics (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 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Compass Middle Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	550 Clower St E	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 519-8701	161	8	20.1	82.0%	42 (26.1%)	47 (29.2%)	67 (41.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.5%)	4.5	1144^th of 1196 public middle schools	4.3%		3	1156^th of 1177 public middle schools	1.8%	12	30.0	23.0	16.0	15.0	35.0	4.0	5.0	23.0	30.0	8.0			19.0	$8,527	$1,839	$6,688
Bartow Middle School	Public	6-8	550 Clower St E	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 534-7415	999	50	19.9	69.9%	426 (42.6%)	220 (22.0%)	308 (30.8%)	7 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	35 (3.5%)	24.3	935^th of 1196 public middle schools	21.8%		25.3	905^th of 1177 public middle schools	23.1%	30		41.0	31.0	35.0		38.0	21.0	35.0		36.0	71.0	82.0	83.0	$8,883	$1,394	$7,491
Union Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	1795 Wabash St E	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 534-7435	389	21	18.5	45.0%	184 (47.3%)	92 (23.7%)	84 (21.6%)	14 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	73.5	289^th of 1196 public middle schools	75.8%		80	193^rd of 1177 public middle schools	83.6%	96		62.0	79.0	66.0		75.0	21.0	53.0		60.0	86.0	94.0	97.0	$10,310	$1,238	$9,072
Mulberry Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Dr Mlk Jr Ave SE	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1066	1,176	54	21.7	72.5%	430 (36.6%)	94 (8.0%)	621 (52.8%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (1.8%)	26.8	904^th of 1196 public middle schools	24.4%		25.4	902^nd of 1177 public middle schools	23.4%	2		32.0	32.0	42.0		42.0	33.0	37.0		36.0	73.0	98.0	85.0	$8,555	$1,401	$7,153
Lakeland Highlands Middle School	Public	6-8	740 Lake Miriam Dr	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3500	1,260	65	19.3	49.1%	607 (48.2%)	204 (16.2%)	353 (28.0%)	41 (3.3%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (4.0%)	50.5	583^rd of 1196 public middle schools	51.3%		45.6	626^th of 1177 public middle schools	46.8%	43		54.0	52.0	53.0		48.0	35.0	55.0		47.0	91.0	96.0	84.0	$7,875	$1,125	$6,750
Crystal Lake Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	2410 Crystal Lake Dr N	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 499-2970	865	40	21.6	79.0%	244 (28.2%)	210 (24.3%)	369 (42.7%)	9 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.6%)	28 (3.2%)	14.5	1057^th of 1196 public middle schools	11.6%		17.4	1010^th of 1177 public middle schools	14.2%	47		32.0	28.0	30.0		24.0	10.0	24.0		29.0	57.0	86.0	52.0	$9,469	$1,546	$7,922
Westwood Middle School	Public	6-8	3520 Avenue J NW	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5484	829	42	19.7	77.8%	138 (16.6%)	263 (31.7%)	391 (47.2%)	6 (0.7%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (2.9%)	11.6	1094^th of 1196 public middle schools	8.5%		12.2	1065^th of 1177 public middle schools	9.5%	29		25.0	24.0	27.0		37.0	15.0	17.0		19.0	65.0		71.0	$8,771	$1,932	$6,840
Southwest Middle School	Public	6-8	2815 Eden Pkwy	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2840	745	42	17.7	72.5%	235 (31.5%)	183 (24.6%)	294 (39.5%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	23 (3.1%)	17.8	1028^th of 1196 public middle schools	14.0%		15.3	1037^th of 1177 public middle schools	11.9%	9		24.0	34.0	34.0		26.0	22.0	27.0		32.0	75.0	74.0	67.0	$9,917	$1,863	$8,054
Denison Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Avenue A SE	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5353	729	34	21.4	77.0%	148 (20.3%)	267 (36.6%)	287 (39.4%)	8 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.6%)	14.2	1063^rd of 1196 public middle schools	11.1%		13.3	1056^th of 1177 public middle schools	10.3%	7		27.0	21.0	28.0		16.0	19.0	40.0		23.0	73.0	94.0	55.0	$9,845	$2,067	$7,778
Jere L. Stambaugh Middle	Public	6-8	226 Main St N	Auburndale	33823	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 965-5494	1,090	41	26.5	72.8%	420 (38.5%)	193 (17.7%)	428 (39.3%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	38 (3.5%)	13.8	1068^th of 1196 public middle schools	10.7%		16	1029^th of 1177 public middle schools	12.6%	39		30.0	23.0	25.0		30.0	25.0	19.0		27.0	35.0	82.0	56.0	$8,041	$1,338	$6,702

Frequently Asked Questions about Compass Middle Charter School

What district is Compass Middle Charter School in?

Polk

Is Compass Middle Charter School a good school?

Compass Middle Charter School ranks in the bottom 4.3% of Florida middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Compass Middle Charter School?

Students at Compass Middle Charter School are 42% Hispanic, 29% African American, 26% White, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Compass Middle Charter School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 161 students attended Compass Middle Charter 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.