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Kathleen Senior High School

Q: Is Kathleen Senior High School a good school?

Kathleen Senior High School ranks 607 th of 844 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

607^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 844 Florida High Schools

Better than 28% of Florida high schools

Summary

Kathleen Senior High School is a public high school in Lakeland, Florida, serving 1,951 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 61 out of 67 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Kathleen Senior High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Florida high schools over the past several years, with a ranking between 500-600 out of 700-800 schools.

Kathleen Senior High School consistently underperforms compared to the Polk district and the state of Florida in standardized test scores. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school had only 17% proficiency in Algebra 1, compared to 39% in Polk and 60% statewide. The school also has lower graduation rates, ranging from 79% to 89.7% over the past few years, which is lower than the state average of around 90%. Additionally, Kathleen Senior High School has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 44.7% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Kathleen Senior High School to nearby schools in the same district, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming compared to its peers. For instance, Lake Gibson Senior High School, which is only 5.8 miles away, consistently outperforms Kathleen in academic metrics and has a higher school ranking. Despite the high percentage of economically disadvantaged students at Kathleen Senior High School, the school's per-student spending is relatively low, ranging from $7,778 to $9,975 per student in recent years, which is below the state average.

1,861

Students ?

24.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,142

Per pupil spending ?

69.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1100 Red Devil Way
Lakeland, FL 33815

(863) 499-2655

District: Polk

Feeder schools for Kathleen Senior High School:

Elementary:	Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School
	Griffin Elementary School
	Jesse Keen Elementary School
	Kathleen Elementary School
	More...
	R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School
	Sleepy Hill Elementary School
Middle:	Kathleen Middle School
	Sleepy Hill Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.1%

White:

31.8%

African American:

22.4%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Kathleen Senior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 27th percentile in 2014 → 28th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (42% vs 62% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Florida average (87% vs 92%)

!High chronic absenteeism (45% vs 31% Florida)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg49%

Florida avg62%

607^th of 844

Florida public high schools ?

Bottom 28%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 28High Schools in the Polk

61^st of 67Polk among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2025	27.8	607 of 844	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	609 of 807	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	591 of 792	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	580 of 774	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.0	566 of 746	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.7	543 of 734	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.8	492 of 716	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	19.2	542 of 714	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.6	533 of 693	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	27.7	500 of 687	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.8	470 of 648	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.4	460 of 606	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.0	433 of 622	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.3	431 of 620	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	31.2	429 of 587	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.9	404 of 577	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	30.8	398 of 563	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.0	391 of 477	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	17.7	410 of 487	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	24.2	394 of 484	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2024-2025) ?

US History64%-7 vs state

Biology 159%-12 vs state

English Language Arts44%-13 vs state

Geometry30%-25 vs state

Algebra 117%-43 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kathleen Senior High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				FAST English Language Arts (2025)					FAST Math (2025)			Statewide Science Science (2025)	EOC Algebra 1 (2025)	EOC Geometry (2025)	EOC Biology 1 (2025)	EOC US History (2025)	EOC Civics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kathleen Senior High School	Public	9-12	1100 Red Devil Way	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2655	1,861	76	24.4	69.8%	592 (31.8%)	417 (22.4%)	783 (42.1%)	18 (1.0%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (2.4%)	27.8	607^th of 844 public high schools	28.1%		23.3	609^th of 807 public high schools	24.5%	2				45.0	43.0					17.0	30.0	59.0	64.0		$10,142	$1,510	$8,632
McKeel Academy Of Technology	Public, Charter	7-12	1810 Parker St W	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 499-2818	1,750	74	23.6	36.2%	1,099 (62.8%)	141 (8.1%)	394 (22.5%)	70 (4.0%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	41 (2.3%)	77	97^th of 844 public high schools	88.5%		80.8	64^th of 807 public high schools	92.1%	33		77.0	75.0	71.0	72.0		87.0	80.0	66.0	83.0	75.0	87.0	90.0	92.0	$6,682	$231	$6,451
Polk Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	604 S Central Ave	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 354-3999	0	23	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pace Center For Girls	Public	6-12	213 Tyler Ave	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 688-5596	59	6	9.8	83.1%	22 (37.3%)	10 (16.9%)	19 (32.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (11.9%)								(n/a)															$8,066	$54	$8,011
Lakeland Senior High School	Public	9-12	726 Hollingsworth Rd	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 499-2900	1,985	103	19.2	56.8%	770 (38.8%)	506 (25.5%)	594 (29.9%)	35 (1.8%)	5 (0.3%)	5 (0.3%)	70 (3.5%)	44.4	406^th of 844 public high schools	51.9%		45.2	360^th of 807 public high schools	55.4%	46				62.0	58.0					19.0	35.0	68.0	71.0		$9,937	$1,447	$8,490
Polk Grad Academy	Public	9-12	910 Lowry Ave	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 413-2948	14	0		85.7%	6 (42.9%)	5 (35.7%)	3 (21.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Fresh Start Community School	Public	10-12	910 Lowry Ave	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 419-3486	105	5	21.0	67.6%	18 (17.1%)	30 (28.6%)	55 (52.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)								(n/a)
Lake Gibson Senior High School	Public	9-12	7007 Socrum Loop Rd N	Lakeland	33809	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6100	1,973	93	21.2	62.3%	795 (40.3%)	437 (22.1%)	661 (33.5%)	29 (1.5%)	8 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (2.1%)	27.1	615^th of 844 public high schools	27.1%		29.9	544^th of 807 public high schools	32.6%	71				41.0	45.0					17.0	25.0	69.0	57.0		$9,858	$1,251	$8,607
Maynard A Traviss Technical Academy	Public	6-12	3225 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2700	151	7	21.5	62.9%	75 (49.7%)	23 (15.2%)	46 (30.5%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	36.4	506^th of 844 public high schools	40.0%		15.3	660^th of 807 public high schools	18.2%	154											21.0		65.0		$7,824	$742	$7,082
Bill Duncan Opportunity Center	Public	6-12	3333 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 499-2860	87	12	7.2	87.4%	21 (24.1%)	34 (39.1%)	30 (34.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.3%)	2.9	778^th of 844 public high schools	7.8%		7.1	695^th of 807 public high schools	13.9%	83	6.0	15.0	10.0	14.0	16.0	13.0	6.0	6.0	5.0	4.0	0.0	10.0	18.0		$36,884	$2,110	$34,775

Frequently Asked Questions about Kathleen Senior High School

How many students attend Kathleen Senior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,861 students attended Kathleen Senior High School.

What district is Kathleen Senior High School in?

Polk

What is the racial makeup of Kathleen Senior High School?

Students at Kathleen Senior High School are 42% Hispanic, 32% White, 22% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Kathleen Senior High School a good school?

Kathleen Senior High School ranks 607^th of 844 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools feed into Kathleen Senior High School?

Kathleen Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School
Elementary : Griffin Elementary School
Elementary : Jesse Keen Elementary School
Elementary : Kathleen Elementary School
Elementary : R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School
Elementary : Sleepy Hill Elementary School
Middle : Kathleen Middle School
Middle : Sleepy Hill Middle School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.