KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, a large senior high in LAKELAND, Florida, overseen by POLK, teaches 1,861 students, covering grades 9 through 12. That puts it 80% above the typical public school in Florida, which averages around 1,035 students.

Across the 163 schools in POLK (116,552 students total), KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL lists that 42% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder reads as 32% White, 22% Black, 2% multiracial. By comparison, Polk County as a whole is about 29% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, The school lists 76 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 24.5:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 23.5:1 average. About 70% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 46.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 37.1%.

In the surrounding community, census data for Polk County shows median household earnings sit near $65,978, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Polk County runs 172 public schools (combined enrollment of about 117,004 students), of which KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is one.

Nearest neighbor: MCKEEL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY, around 0.9 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ranks 5th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 62.1%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL has edged down 11%, going from 2,087 students in 2018 to 1,861 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 29% to 42% across the same window. Class-load math has grew: from 19.7:1 in 2018 to 24.5:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.