The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Math. The lowest is 40% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary School
Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary sits on Charleston Avenue in Fort Meade, a small, historically rooted city in Polk County that bills itself as the oldest city in the county. The surrounding area is rural in character, with cattle farms and citrus groves, a walkable historic downtown along Broadway Street, and a community that has, publicly reported, been drawing families from larger Polk County cities looking for lower costs and less congestion. The school draws its students from this setting.
The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade, making it the early-childhood anchor for Fort Meade's public school pathway before students move to Fort Meade Middle-Senior High School. Enrollment puts it in a mid-range size for an elementary school serving this span of grades. The student body is majority Hispanic, with white and Black students making up most of the remainder, and a very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of the surrounding community. Data on English learner identification and special education rates were not available in the information provided.
On Florida's FAST assessments, proficiency rates across the tested grades in both reading and math fall below what many parents would consider strong preparation benchmarks. In reading, the school's grades three through five show proficiency rates clustering in the low-to-mid forties, and math results follow a similar pattern, with the upper elementary grades coming in slightly lower than third grade. Fifth-grade science, tested through the Florida Statewide Science Assessment, shows a similar picture. These figures represent all students across the grade, and parents who want to understand how specific subgroups or students with particular needs are performing would want to ask the school directly, since that detail was not available here. The comparison framework for Polk County districts flagged that the county contains only two districts, meaning a meaningful peer comparison could not be constructed, so these results should be read against Florida state benchmarks rather than a county ranking.
Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether proficiency has been rising, falling, or holding steady. That is a reasonable question to raise with the school.
No information on program offerings, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, or discipline practices was available in the data provided. The district brief for Polk County school system also returned no confirmed parent-relevant policy or program changes, so those were left out rather than guessed at.
On housing, Fort Meade's typical home values sit meaningfully below the Florida state median and also below the national median, which is part of what publicly reported sources say draws buyers to the city. The market has seen modest softening in the most recent year-over-year data. Rental index data was not available for this zip code. For families weighing a move, the affordability picture is one of the town's genuine draws relative to other parts of Polk County, though mortgage costs at current rates still represent a real household commitment.
The civic infrastructure available to families is worth naming. The Fort Meade Public Library, part of the Polk County Library Cooperative, sits on Broadway Street and offers children's programming including storytime and summer reading. Patterson Park, a large reclaimed open-pit site with fishing access and walking paths, and the Peace River recreation area with kayaking access round out the outdoor options. No fixed-route public transit was found serving the city, which matters for families without reliable transportation.
For a parent deciding whether Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary is the right fit, the honest picture is a community-rooted school in a small, affordable, rural town with a demographically diverse student body and a high share of economically disadvantaged students. Academic proficiency as measured by state assessments is below the midpoint statewide, and a parent would reasonably want to have a direct conversation with the school about what supports are in place, particularly for students who may need additional reading and math help in the elementary years.
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