Lake Alfred Polytech Academy, Lake Alfred FL

Original Research by School Decision on Lake Alfred Polytech Academy

Lake Alfred Polytech Academy is a public middle school serving sixth through eighth grade in Lake Alfred, a small Polk County city whose economy runs on manufacturing, logistics, and citrus and agricultural processing. The school sits in a working community where the largest local industries by resident employment include educational services, health care, and construction, with industrial parks and packaging operations giving the city its practical character. The city's own public statements describe it as growing and investing in its people, though no specific data on new housing development was available.

The school draws a moderately large enrollment for a middle school of its grade band. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the broader economic conditions of the community. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and white, with a notable Black student population and smaller shares of other backgrounds. Data on English learner enrollment and students receiving special education services were not available in the data provided.

State assessment results from Florida's FAST and Statewide Science Assessment tell a mixed story across the three grade levels. Sixth-grade math proficiency is the school's strongest academic result and comes in above the midpoint of what one would consider a reasonable expectation for a Florida middle school. ELA in sixth grade is not far behind. The picture shifts in seventh grade, where math proficiency drops sharply, falling well below the sixth-grade level and representing the school's weakest single result across any tested subject or grade. Seventh-grade ELA is also lower than sixth grade. By eighth grade, both math and ELA have recovered partially from the seventh-grade trough but remain below the sixth-grade starting point. Eighth-grade science proficiency is in a similar range to eighth-grade ELA and math. A parent who wants to understand what drives the seventh-grade gap in particular would be well served by asking the school directly about how students are supported through that transition year.

Multi-year trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether results have been improving, holding steady, or declining over time.

A graduation rate does not apply here because the school serves only middle grades. No program offerings data was provided, though the school's name references a polytechnic focus; a parent interested in what that means for instruction, electives, or any career-connected learning would want to explore that directly with the school.

On housing, the Lake Alfred zip code sits noticeably below the Florida statewide median home value, and below the national median as well, making it one of the more accessible housing markets in the state by price. Values have edged down slightly year over year. Rental data was not available. The price-to-income relationship in this area is relatively favorable compared to national averages, which matters for families weighing the cost of putting down roots near this school.

Polk County's comparison set for this school contains too few districts to produce a meaningful proficiency index comparison, so placement among county peers was not rendered.

The Polk district brief did not surface any specific parent-relevant policy or program changes before the research budget was exhausted, so that context is absent rather than positive.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 50% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 721%

School 21% · District 33% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 37% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 53% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 46% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 44% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 36% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

This schoolPOLK, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income73%51 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income55%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income50%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income45%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income73%45 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income56%Higher-income66%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income19%Higher-income25%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income48%10 pp gap