The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in Math. The lowest is 28% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Eastside Elementary School
Eastside Elementary sits on Johnson Avenue in Haines City, a fast-growing Polk County city that has added residents steadily since the last census. The school serves children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, so there are no state testing results for the earliest grades, which is typical for that grade band. Florida does test students in grades three through five, and those results are reported here.
The academic picture is one a parent should look at carefully. On the FAST assessments in reading and math, and on the statewide science exam at fifth grade, proficiency rates across tested grades fall well below the Florida midpoint. Math scores are somewhat stronger than reading across all three tested grades, but the gap between what students are scoring and what Florida considers proficient is wide in both subjects. Reading proficiency among fourth graders is particularly low. Science results at fifth grade follow a similar pattern. These figures come from the most recent school year reported, and there are no prior-year results in the data that would allow a trend comparison, so it is not possible to say from this data alone whether the school is moving in a positive direction. A parent would want to ask the school directly about what supports are in place and what improvement trajectory they are working toward.
The student body is large for an elementary school of this grade span. An overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of the surrounding neighborhood. The school's population is predominantly Hispanic, with Black students making up a substantial secondary share, and smaller numbers of white and multiracial students. Data on English learner enrollment and students with individualized education programs was not available in the data provided, which is worth asking the school about, given the community's demographics.
Haines City itself is changing quickly. Publicly reported information describes it as one of Polk County's fastest-growing cities, with new single-family subdivisions spreading along the I-4 and US-27 corridors and a commercial base anchored by retail, logistics, and distribution work. ALDI's distribution center expansion is publicly reported as a coming source of local jobs. The historic downtown retains a walkable commercial core with restored early-20th-century buildings, but most new residential growth is in car-dependent planned communities on the outskirts. The city's civic assets include a fully rebuilt Lake Eva Park with an aquatic center and event facilities, and a public library sharing City Hall on East Main Street. Transit connections run to Winter Haven, Davenport, Lake Wales, and Poinciana through Citrus Connection routes.
Housing near the school carries a median home value modestly below the Florida statewide benchmark and well below the national one, and values have dipped slightly year over year. Rents have edged upward over the same period. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home in the area runs meaningfully lower than the statewide equivalent, which is part of what has drawn families to Haines City. Renters spend roughly a quarter of income on housing, a rate that sits in a reasonable range by national standards.
Eastside is a regular public school in the Polk County district. No magnet or charter designation applies, and Title I status was not reported in the data. The district brief search did not surface confirmed recent changes to district-level priorities, so that piece was left out rather than guessed at.
For a family considering this school, the honest picture is that the academic proficiency numbers are well below state norms across all tested subjects, and that deserves direct follow-up with the school about reading intervention, math support, and what data they track internally. The school serves a high-poverty, majority-Hispanic community in a city that is growing and changing, and the community context matters for understanding both what the school is working with and what resources exist nearby.
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