Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 162 schools in district

PURCELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

305 1ST AVE NE, MULBERRY, FL 33860POLK →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–05Non-Charter
516
Students
Total enrolled
$12,028
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 16% vs nat'l
16.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
33/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 33% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 516 students in grades PK–05 in MULBERRY, 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 33th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

PURCELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a large elementary in MULBERRY, Florida, serving grades PK–05 with 516 students. The district invests $12,028 per student — 16% below the national average of $14,347, with a 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 64% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 33/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at PURCELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

516
Total Students
16.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
64%
Free Lunch
32
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution273 male · 243 female
53%
47%
Male 53%Female 47%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility64%
National avg 52% · 331 students
Student Composition
38%
50%
10%
White38%
Hispanic / Latino50%
Black10%
Multiracial1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 120159001763

Academic Outcomes at PURCELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
33
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 33th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 6th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 33860

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
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (33/100) — 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
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesPK – 05
Location—
CountyPolk County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictPOLK →
Phone: (863)701-1061
NCES ID: 120159001763
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in MULBERRY seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. 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
305 1ST AVE NE, MULBERRY, FL 33860
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.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
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.