Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in POLK

This page covers 26 middle schools in POLK, including 6 charter schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

26
Schools Ranked
Florida
State
6
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 26
1
rank
LAKELAND MONTESSORI MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades 06–0830 studentsCharter
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
53
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
39/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
10%
Low economic need
2
rank
LAWTON CHILES MIDDLE ACADEMY
Grades 06–08649 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
19.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
35/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
33%
Low economic need
3
rank
BERKLEY ACCELERATED MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades 06–10623 studentsCharter
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
20.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
39/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
36%
Low economic need
4
rank
LAKELAND HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades 06–081,265 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
19.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
41%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
KATHLEEN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades 06–08821 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
18.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
68%
High economic need
6
rank
UNION ACADEMY
Grades 06–08396 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
19.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
35%
Low economic need
7
rank
DANIEL JENKINS ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades 06–08516 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
18.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
56%
Near nat'l 52.2%
8
rank
JEWETT MIDDLE ACADEMY MAGNET
Grades 06–08584 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
19.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
39/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
46%
Near nat'l 52.2%
9
rank
MCLAUGHLIN ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE
Grades 06–10542 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
15.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
37/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
68%
High economic need
10
rank
SLEEPY HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grades 06–081,090 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
42
/100
Student:Teacher
19.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$12,028
Below nat'l avg
Free Lunch
67%
Near nat'l 52.2%
16 more middle schools in POLK not shown here.
View all schools in POLK
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
26
Middle Schools
162
Total Schools
53
#1 Score
41
Avg Score
District profilePOLK
Top Ranked Middle School
Compare POLK with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.