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Gause Academy Of Leadership

Public Grades 6-12

698^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 838 Florida High Schools

Better than 17% of Florida high schools

Summary

Gause Academy Of Leadership in Bartow, FL, is a small alternative school serving 97 students in grades 6 through 12 within the Polk school district, where over 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school faces significant challenges that set it apart from nearby traditional high schools. The most critical issue is its graduation rate, which was just 36.4% for the 2023-2024 school year—less than half the district average of 82.2% and far below the state average of 89.7%. In contrast, nearby schools like Bartow Senior High School (96.0%) and George W. Jenkins Senior High (98.9%) have near-perfect graduation rates. Chronic absenteeism is also extreme, with 76.6% of students missing significant school time—more than double the district average and nearly 2.5 times the state average. This is notably worse than other alternative schools in the area, such as Bill Duncan Opportunity Center (46.3% chronic absenteeism). Test scores are consistently low, with 0% of 8th graders proficient in Math and only 6% proficient in Geometry for the 2025-2026 school year.

Despite these struggles, the school invests heavily in its students, spending $41,488 per student—nearly five times the spending of traditional high schools like Bartow Senior High ($8,576)—and maintaining a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 5.1:1. This high cost reflects the intensive support needed, yet outcomes remain poor. There is one bright spot: 53% of 9th graders were proficient in English Language Arts in the 2025-2026 school year, matching the district average and approaching the state average. However, the school’s rank has stagnated in the bottom 10-18% of Florida high schools for a decade, suggesting that its current approach is not effectively addressing the core issue of chronic absenteeism.

Students ?

5.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$36,292

Per pupil spending ?

90.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1395 Polk St W
Bartow, FL 33830

(863) 534-7425

District: Polk

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.1%

African American:

32.0%

Hispanic:

27.8%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 6 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (18% vs 63% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Florida average (36% vs 90%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg50%

Florida avg63%

Middle school

1,177^th of 1,216

Florida public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

698^th of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st of 25High Schools in the Polk

61^st of 70Polk 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	2.3	1177 of 1216	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.6	1138 of 1205	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.0	1124 of 1196	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.1	1134 of 1177	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.4	1018 of 1148	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	5.7	1105 of 1136	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.4	1027 of 1099	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.2	1016 of 1035	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	2.9	1009 of 1031	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.5	983 of 997	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	4.3	940 of 999	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.4	934 of 956	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.8	850 of 897	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.0	813 of 891	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	2.7	807 of 839	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.0	762 of 780	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	4.0	698 of 740	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.0	709 of 736	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	4.6	638 of 675	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	2.2	591 of 602	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	3.7	573 of 593	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	12.4	698 of 838	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.2	702 of 844	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	663 of 807	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.2	681 of 792	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	6.7	670 of 774	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.5	654 of 746	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	4.2	658 of 734	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	3.0	669 of 716	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.5	606 of 714	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	5.9	619 of 693	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	3.0	656 of 687	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.3	634 of 648	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.6	586 of 606	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.9	529 of 622	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.7	553 of 620	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	6.5	541 of 587	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	9.0	511 of 577	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	7.1	513 of 563	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	8.7	435 of 477	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	4.4	462 of 487	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	6.3	448 of 484	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

US History50%-24 vs state

English Language Arts25%-35 vs state

Biology 125%-49 vs state

Algebra 118%-45 vs state

Science9%-43 vs state

Geometry6%-50 vs state

Math0%-61 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gause Academy Of Leadership

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)					FAST Math (2026)			Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Algebra 1 (2026)	EOC Geometry (2026)	EOC Biology 1 (2026)	EOC US History (2026)	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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gause Academy Of Leadership	Public	6-12	1395 Polk St W	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 534-7425	97	17	5.7	90.7%	36 (37.1%)	31 (32.0%)	27 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	12.4	698^th of 838 public high schools	16.7%		10.2	702^nd of 844 public high schools	16.8%	4			16.0	53.0				0.0	9.0	18.0	6.0	25.0	50.0	$36,292	$4,059	$32,233
Bartow Senior High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1270 Broadway Ave S	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	Yes	No	No	(863) 534-7400	2,276	102	22.3	57.8%	931 (40.9%)	456 (20.0%)	737 (32.4%)	97 (4.3%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	50 (2.2%)	36.9	510^th of 838 public high schools	39.1%		36.1	510^th of 844 public high schools	39.6%					55.0	53.0					32.0	32.0	64.0	72.0	$8,576	$1,199	$7,378
Transition School	Public	12	1860 Gibbons St E	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 519-8169	50	0		52.0%	14 (28.0%)	12 (24.0%)	23 (46.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)								(n/a)
Polk County Sheriff's Central Center	Public	7-12	2390 Bob Phillips Rd	Bartow	33830	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 519-3611	45	2	22.5	6.7%	5 (11.1%)	28 (62.2%)	11 (24.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)								(n/a)											0.0			$14,583	$1,493	$13,088
George W. Jenkins Senior High	Public	9-12	6000 Lakeland Highlands Rd	Lakeland	33813	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 648-3566	2,469	115	21.4	47.0%	1,133 (45.9%)	408 (16.5%)	757 (30.7%)	68 (2.8%)	6 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	93 (3.8%)	45.3	403^rd of 838 public high schools	51.9%		44.8	400^th of 844 public high schools	52.6%	3				61.0	59.0					33.0	34.0	72.0	75.0	$9,219	$914	$8,305
Mulberry Senior High School	Public	9-12	4th Circle NE	Mulberry	33860	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 701-1104	1,451	64	22.6	69.4%	549 (37.8%)	130 (9.0%)	720 (49.6%)	8 (0.6%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (2.7%)	29.4	588^th of 838 public high schools	29.8%		28.8	596^th of 844 public high schools	29.4%	8				42.0	53.0					20.0	26.0	62.0	71.0	$9,500	$1,225	$8,274
Polk State Lakeland Gateway To College Collegiate High School	Public, Charter	11-12	3425 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 669-2322	296	9	32.8		98 (33.1%)	93 (31.4%)	90 (30.4%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)								(n/a)													64.0	$5,954	$04	$5,951
Polk State College Collegiate High School	Public, Charter	10-12	3425 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 669-2322	343	5	68.6		220 (64.1%)	24 (7.0%)	74 (21.6%)	18 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	92.7	7^th of 838 public high schools	99.2%		95	2^nd of 844 public high schools	99.8%	5					100.0						96.0	100.0	100.0	$7,367	$00	$7,367
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%)	3.6	759^th of 838 public high schools	9.4%		2.9	778^th of 844 public high schools	7.8%	19	12.0	18.0	5.0	21.0	13.0	9.0	7.0	8.0	3.0	14.0	5.0	36.0	19.0	$36,884	$2,110	$34,775
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%)								(n/a)													71.0	$7,824	$742	$7,082

Frequently Asked Questions about Gause Academy Of Leadership

Is Gause Academy Of Leadership a good school?

Gause Academy Of Leadership ranks in the bottom 16.7% of Florida high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Gause Academy Of Leadership?

Students at Gause Academy Of Leadership are 37% White, 32% African American, 28% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Gause Academy Of Leadership in?

Polk

How many students attend Gause Academy Of Leadership?

In the 2024-25 school year, 97 students attended Gause Academy Of Leadership.

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

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.