Auburndale Senior High School

Auburndale Senior High School is a large public high school in Auburndale, FL, serving 1,770 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Polk school district, which has a 1-star rating.

This school presents a mixed picture. On one hand, its graduation rate has climbed to 91.6%, which is above the district average and close to the state average. On the other hand, academic proficiency, especially in math, is a major concern. Only 14% of students were proficient in Algebra 1 and 18% in Geometry, which is dramatically lower than district and state averages. This is a key difference from nearby Winter Haven Senior High School, which has a similar student population but outperforms Auburndale in nearly every academic metric. For example, Winter Haven had 24% proficiency in Algebra 1 and 34% in Geometry. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism, with 46.6% of students chronically absent, higher than the district and state averages. However, there are some bright spots: proficiency in Biology 1 (57%) and US History (60%) is much closer to district and state averages, and English Language Arts scores have shown a clear upward trend over the last few years.

For parents, the key takeaway is that while Auburndale is successfully graduating most of its students, many are not meeting grade-level standards in core subjects like math. This suggests the path to graduation may not guarantee college or career readiness. The school's low spending per student ($9,387) is also notable, especially given its high-needs population. For comparison, a nearby magnet school like Chain Of Lakes Collegiate High has a 100% graduation rate and near-perfect test scores, highlighting the educational inequality within the same district. If you are considering this school, it is important to look beyond the graduation rate and investigate the academic support available, particularly in math.