Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Other· 162 schools in district

DORIS A. SANDERS LEARNING CENTER

1201 ENCHANTED DR, LAKELAND, FL 33801POLK →
Federal DataSpecial Education SchoolGrades PK–12Non-Charter
87
Students
Total enrolled
$12,028
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 16% vs nat'l
5.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 65% vs nat'l
35/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 31% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 87 students in grades PK–12 in LAKELAND, Florida.
16% below average funding
District spends $12,028 per pupil, 16% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 35th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

DORIS A. SANDERS LEARNING CENTER is a small other in LAKELAND, Florida, serving grades PK–12 with 87 students. The district invests $12,028 per student — 16% below the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 5.4:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 55% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 35/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at DORIS A. SANDERS LEARNING CENTER

87
Total Students
5.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
55%
Free Lunch
16
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution61 male · 26 female
70%
30%
Male 70%Female 30%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility55%
National avg 52% · 48 students
Student Composition
51%
16%
28%
Asian2%
White51%
Hispanic / Latino16%
Black28%
Multiracial2%
Pacific Islander1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 120159002402

Academic Outcomes at DORIS A. SANDERS LEARNING CENTER

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
35
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 35th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 9th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 33801

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,028Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,028
State avg
$12,753
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,292
Student Support$2,285
Administration$1,443
Operations$1,804
Other$1,203
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,028 spent per student, an estimated $5,329 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
44%
35%
State government
43.8%
Local (property tax)
35.2%
Federal programs
21.0%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 5.4:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (35/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
HORIZONS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLCITRUS RIDGE A CIVICS ACADEMYSOUTH MCKEEL ACADEMYDAVENPORT SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
+3 more
↓
Middle
SHELLEY S. BOONE MIDDLE SCHOOLLAKELAND HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOLLAKE GIBSON MIDDLE SCHOOLMULBERRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
+2 more
↓
High School
RIDGE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLHAINES CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLWINTER HAVEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLGEORGE W. JENKINS SENIOR HIGH
+12 more
School Profile
TypeSpecial Education School
LevelOther
GradesPK – 12
Location—
CountyPolk County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictPOLK →
Phone: (863)499-2980
NCES ID: 120159002402
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in LAKELAND seeking a public school, especially those prioritizing smaller class sizes and more individualized teacher access. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in POLK
High
RIDGE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
2,711 students · 09–12
● 37 opp48% FRL
High
HAINES CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,700 students · 09–12
● 42 opp58% FRL
High
WINTER HAVEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,467 students · 09–12
● 37 opp51% FRL
High
GEORGE W. JENKINS SENIOR HIGH
2,451 students · 09–12
● 41 opp37% FRL
High
DAVENPORT HIGH SCHOOL
2,333 students · 09–12
● 36 opp37% FRL
High
BARTOW SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,125 students · 09–12
● 36 opp44% FRL
High
LAKE GIBSON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,080 students · 09–12
● 36 opp49% FRL
High
KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,051 students · 09–12
● 31 opp59% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1201 ENCHANTED DR, LAKELAND, FL 33801
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Other
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.