The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in Science. The lowest is 74% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Independence Elementary
Independence Elementary sits in Winter Garden's Horizon West growth corridor, on New Independence Parkway in the southern part of a city that has transformed rapidly from a citrus-farming town into one of Central Florida's most active residential markets. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public elementary in Orange County Public Schools.
The academic picture is strong. On Florida's FAST assessments, math proficiency across the three tested grades runs from the mid-seventies to the high eighties, with the highest mark in third grade and a dip in fourth before recovering in fifth. ELA results follow a similar pattern: third and fifth grade both land in the upper seventies, while fourth grade is lower, sitting in the mid-sixties. That fourth-grade ELA figure is the one area where a parent might want to ask the school directly about what support is in place. Fifth-grade science proficiency is in the low eighties. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index places it well above the midpoint among the districts in Orange County, comfortably in the top tier of that comparison set. Trend data across years was not available in the data provided.
Enrollment is sizeable for an elementary, spread fairly evenly across all six grade levels from kindergarten through fifth. The student body is roughly split between white and Hispanic students, with a meaningful Asian population and smaller numbers of Black and multiracial students. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is well below statewide norms, reflecting the newer, higher-income residential communities that feed the school. Data on English learner populations and students with IEPs was not available in what was provided, so a parent wanting to understand those support programs should contact the school directly.
The surrounding community shapes what living near Independence Elementary looks like in practical terms. Home values in the ZIP code are well above both the Florida state median and the national median, and they have edged down slightly over the past year. Rents are also elevated. The monthly carrying cost of a home at the local median sits meaningfully above the national rent figure, making this a financially demanding market for buyers. New construction is active throughout Horizon West, with homes ranging from townhouse-scale entry points to larger estate properties, and publicly reported accounts describe around a dozen active communities selling new homes as of 2026.
Winter Garden itself offers real amenities. The West Orange Trail, a long paved rail-trail, runs through the historic downtown along Plant Street and connects to parks and neighborhoods. The Saturday farmers market draws consistent crowds to the brick-paved Plant Street core, which also holds the Garden Theatre, a library branch, and a concentration of restaurants and small businesses. That walkable downtown is a genuine draw, though it is several miles from the Horizon West neighborhoods where many Independence Elementary families likely live. Outside the historic core, the city is car-dependent, and commuters heading toward Orlando have limited transit options.
The city is growing fast. Publicly reported population figures show substantial gains concentrated in the ZIP code that covers Horizon West since the last census, and Orange County Public Schools has opened multiple campuses in the area to keep pace. Independence Elementary itself sits squarely in that growth zone. No district-level strategic priorities or recent policy changes were available in the data provided, so we left that out rather than speculate.
The school carries no charter or magnet designation and holds no Title I status. For a family moving into the Horizon West corridor, Independence Elementary represents a high-performing neighborhood elementary in a fast-growing, relatively affluent community, with strong math and science results and a fourth-grade ELA gap worth a closer conversation with the school.
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