1
What's the one class at LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,597
High
DISTRICT 1,012 · STATE 1,035
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·POLK·NCES 120159001790
LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
1 HIGHLANDER WAY, LAKE WALES, FL 33853 · (863) 678-4222 · Polk County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,597 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 73% of Florida public high schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Florida public high schools
Student : Teacher
21.9:1
73 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.0:1 · STATE 23.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
69%
1,095 students
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 50%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 400 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 416 | 26% |
| Grade 11 | 414 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 367 | 23% |
Student demographics
67%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 70% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or AboveEnglish Language Arts
58.0%
FL avg 56.7% . +3.5pp since 2023
Math
45.0%
FL avg 58.9% . +9.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 58 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 45 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores are up about 3 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 9 points.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 58.0% | 45.0% |
| 2023-24 | 54.5% | 36.0% |
% at Level 3 or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
57.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
46.8%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 57% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 47% typical for Florida schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Florida's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL's state test result (57.0% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL this school | 1,597 | 68.6% | 57.0% |
| KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL LAKELAND | 1,861 | 69.8% | 37.1% |
| AUBURNDALE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AUBURNDALE | 1,770 | 63.6% | 35.3% |
| TENOROC HIGH SCHOOL LAKELAND | 1,141 | 72.7% | 32.6% |
| LAKE GIBSON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL LAKELAND | 1,973 | 62.3% | 41.9% |
| MULBERRY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MULBERRY | 1,451 | 69.4% | 40.3% |
Matched among Florida high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Polk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 57.0% | #217 of 555 | #2 of 19 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 45.0% | #232 of 549 ▲ 43 | #3 of 19 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 58.0% | #247 of 559 ▼ 9 | #4 of 20 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,597 | #268 of 830 | #12 of 35 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.9:1 | #276 of 575 | #8 of 22 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 66.9% | #112 of 594 | #9 of 22 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 68.6% | #51 of 630 | #11 of 23 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +2.0% | #220 of 246 | #11 of 12 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,597
+20 (+1%) vs 2020
+41% since 1990-91, when it was 1,129
Student : Teacher
21.9:1
was 24.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,597 | 73 | 21.9:1 | 69% (1,095) |
| 2023-24 | 1,599 | 72 | 22.2:1 | 68% (1,088) |
| 2022-23 | 1,586 | 66 | 24.0:1 | 64% (1,008) |
| 2020-21 | 1,577 | 64 | 24.6:1 | 50% (787) |
| 2017-18 | 1,566 | 82 | 19.1:1 | 63% (983) |
| 2015-16 | 1,511 | 73 | 20.7:1 | 68% (1,031) |
| 2010-11 | 1,252 | 69 | 18.1:1 | 62% (774) |
| 2000-01 | 1,344 | 82 | 16.4:1 | 37% (492) |
| 1990-91 | 1,129 | 75 | 15.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
About LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is a high school in LAKE WALES, Florida, according to federal school records. It teaches 1,597 students in grades 9 through 12. It has 54% more students than the average for high schools in Florida (about 1,035).
POLK has 116,552 students in 163 schools, and LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is one of those schools.
The largest group at LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is White students, at 41%. After that, the student body is 36% Hispanic, 19% Black, 2% multiracial, and 2% Asian. Census figures show Polk County is about 56% White. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 67%.
The school lists 73 full-time-equivalent teachers and a student-to-teacher ratio of 21.9:1. Compared with the 23.5:1 average for high schools in Florida, this school's ratio is lower. Free or reduced-price lunch covers 69% of the student body.
LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL earns a B+ on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 73% of Florida public high schools.
Compared with Florida schools that have similar shares of low-income students, LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL's results are 10.2 points above predicted: 57.0% against 46.8%.
The school is in Polk County, where median household income comes to about $65,978, roughly 24% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Polk County's 172 public schools enroll about 117,004 students and include LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
Measured in a straight line, VICTORY RIDGE ACADEMY is about 0.3 miles from LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools. Of 7 schools in the immediate area with test results, LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ranks 2nd on average proficiency.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Suburb: Large, meaning it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more. It is a charter school, open to the public and funded by taxpayers.
Enrollment has been fairly stable: 1,577 in 2020-21 and 1,597 in 2024-25. By 2024-25, the school had 21.9 students per teacher, compared with 24.6 in 2020-21.
This page is a place to ask questions and share updates about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies at LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Polk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
790,694
Census ACS
Median income
$65,978
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
172
117,004 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in POLK
- HAINES CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,105 students
- DAVENPORT HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,731 students
- WINTER HAVEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,648 students
- RIDGE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,632 students
- GEORGE W. JENKINS SENIOR HIGHHigh · 2,469 students
- BARTOW SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,276 students
Other schools in LAKE WALES
- MCLAUGHLIN ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCEHigh · 758 students
- EDWARD W BOK ACADEMY NORTHMiddle · 726 students
- HILLCREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 667 students
- BOK ACADEMYMiddle · 640 students
- SPOOK HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 574 students
- POLK AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 523 students
Nearby schools
- VICTORY RIDGE ACADEMY0.3 mi · 321
- SPOOK HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.5 mi · 574
- EDWARD W BOK ACADEMY NORTH0.7 mi · 726
- JANIE HOWARD WILSON SCHOOL0.9 mi · 462
- ROOSEVELT ACADEMY1.0 mi · 279
- POLK AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.5 mi · 523
Frequently asked questions
About LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHow large is LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL?
LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL enrolls approximately 1,597 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL serve?
LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is approximately 21.9:1 (73 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL?
At LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, the student body is approximately 41% White, 36% Hispanic, 19% Black, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Is LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL public or private?
LAKE WALES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is a public K-12 school operated as a charter, overseen by POLK.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.