Summary
Roosevelt Academy is a small public school in Lake Wales, FL, serving 279 students in grades 6-12 as part of the Polk district, where about 76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Roosevelt Academy’s academic performance is critically low, with proficiency rates in core subjects like Algebra 1 (8%), Geometry (13%), and 8th Grade Science (11%) far below district and state averages. This is a stark contrast to nearby Lake Wales Senior High School, just 1.1 miles away, which scores 2-4 times higher in these subjects and holds a 3-star rating. However, there is one notable exception: Biology 1 proficiency reached 68% in 2025-2026, higher than the district average, suggesting a specific program or teacher is exceptionally effective. The school also spends $20,436 per student—the second-highest among area schools—and maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio of 12.6:1, yet these resources have not translated into broad academic success. Chronic absenteeism is a major challenge, with 49.7% of students chronically absent, the highest rate among standard high schools in the area.
Despite these struggles, the graduation rate has improved to 91.7% in 2024-2025, above the district average, and the school’s state ranking has inched upward from the 8th to the 16th percentile over five years. This raises an important question: are graduates prepared for college or careers when proficiency in key subjects remains so low? For parents, Roosevelt Academy offers small class sizes and high per-student spending, but the data shows these advantages are not overcoming deep challenges like poverty and absenteeism. The Biology 1 success is a bright spot worth investigating, but overall, the school’s outcomes lag significantly behind peers like Chain Of Lakes Collegiate High, which spends far less ($7,080 per student) and achieves much higher results.
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