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Lake Wales Senior High School

Q: Is Lake Wales Senior High School a good school?

Lake Wales Senior High School ranks 332 nd of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet, Charter Grades 9-12

332^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 838 Florida High Schools

Better than 60% of Florida high schools

Summary

Lake Wales Senior High School is a large public high school in Lake Wales, FL, serving approximately 1,597 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Polk County School District, and it has earned a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger for the 2025-2026 school year.

This school stands out for its exceptional graduation rate of 95.5%, which is the highest among all comparable traditional high schools in the area, including Winter Haven Senior High School (94.9%) and Haines City Senior High School (91.2%). Lake Wales also achieves strong results in English Language Arts (ELA) and Biology, with 65% of 9th and 10th graders proficient in ELA—15 percentage points higher than the district average and the highest among nearby traditional peers. In Biology, 67% of students are proficient, outperforming schools like Lake Region High School and Frostproof Middle/Senior High. Notably, the school achieves these results despite spending just $6,653 per student, the lowest among nearby schools, compared to $8,762 at Winter Haven and $9,999 at Lake Region.

However, the school faces challenges, including a chronic absenteeism rate of 41.1%, which is higher than the state average of 31.4%, and a significant weakness in Algebra 1, where only 33% of students are proficient (compared to 60% in Geometry). The school is on an upward trajectory, with its state ranking percentile rising from 42nd in 2020-2021 to 60th in 2025-2026, and its graduation rate surging by nearly 14 percentage points in three years. Nearby, Chain Of Lakes Collegiate High is a top-tier magnet school with a 100% graduation rate, while Roosevelt Academy is a struggling alternative school, highlighting the diverse educational options in the community.

1,597

Students ?

21.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,653

Per pupil spending ?

68.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1 Highlander Way
Lake Wales, FL 33853

(863) 678-4222

District: Polk

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.2%

Hispanic:

35.5%

African American:

18.6%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Lake Wales Senior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2016 → 60th in 2026

Strengths

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Florida average (92%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2016

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Polk

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (41% vs 31% Florida)

!Algebra 1 scores 30 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg53%

Florida avg64%

332^nd of 838

Florida public high schools ?

Top 40%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to top 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Florida High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	50.7	332 of 838	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.2	356 of 844	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.2	347 of 807	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.3	419 of 792	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.8	333 of 774	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.7	436 of 746	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.8	359 of 734	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.2	307 of 716	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	40.6	368 of 714	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.1	382 of 693	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	39.0	417 of 687	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	32.4	440 of 648	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	29.3	409 of 606	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	35.1	448 of 622	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.8	421 of 620	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	37.3	397 of 587	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.9	394 of 577	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	30.8	396 of 563	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.2	390 of 477	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	35.5	344 of 487	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	43.5	299 of 484	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

US History74%~ state avg

Biology 167%-7 vs state

English Language Arts65%+5 vs state

Geometry60%+4 vs state

Algebra 133%-30 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

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3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, June 12, 2017

Such a great and diverse school! Close Quote

Schools Near Lake Wales Senior High School

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)	EOC Civics (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	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lake Wales Senior High School	Public, Magnet, Charter	9-12	1 Highlander Way	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(863) 678-4222	1,597	73	21.8	68.6%	658 (41.2%)	297 (18.6%)	567 (35.5%)	33 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	38 (2.4%)	50.7	332^nd of 838 public high schools	60.4%		48.2	356^th of 844 public high schools	57.8%	24				65.0	65.0					33.0	60.0	67.0	74.0		$6,653	$563	$6,091
Roosevelt Academy	Public	6-12	115 E St	Lake Wales	33853	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 678-4252	279	22	12.6	76.0%	104 (37.3%)	41 (14.7%)	129 (46.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.4%)	10.1	705^th of 838 public high schools	15.9%		6.2	726^th of 844 public high schools	14.0%	21	31.0	15.0	24.0	19.0	37.0	11.0	15.0	23.0	11.0	8.0	13.0	68.0	19.0		$20,436	$3,969	$16,465
Don E Woods Opportunity Center	Public	6-12	213 Lake Ave E	Dundee	33838	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 421-3325	82	11	7.4	81.7%	9 (11.0%)	29 (35.4%)	41 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.7%)	3.2	775^th of 838 public high schools	7.5%		4.5	749^th of 844 public high schools	11.3%	26	13.0	20.0	14.0	19.0	14.0	0.0		4.0	5.0	8.0	0.0	22.0	29.0		$30,028	$1,662	$28,366
Winter Haven Senior High School	Public	9-12	600 6th St SE	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 291-5330	2,648	109	24.2	60.2%	816 (30.8%)	801 (30.2%)	888 (33.5%)	56 (2.1%)	5 (0.2%)	7 (0.3%)	75 (2.8%)	35.6	526^th of 838 public high schools	37.2%		37.2	495^th of 844 public high schools	41.4%	31				52.0	58.0					24.0	34.0	65.0	66.0		$8,762	$1,062	$7,698
Frostproof Middle/Senior High	Public	6-12	1000 Palm Ave N	Frostproof	33843	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 635-7809	998	65	15.3	69.6%	414 (41.5%)	82 (8.2%)	474 (47.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (2.4%)	32.5	558^th of 838 public high schools	33.4%		31.2	575^th of 844 public high schools	31.9%	17	47.0	54.0	37.0	51.0	43.0	38.0	63.0	56.0	32.0	47.0	45.0	59.0	64.0	97.0	$13,196	$1,789	$11,407
Lake Region High School	Public	9-12	1995 Thunder Rd	Eagle Lake	33839	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 297-3099	1,568	67	23.4	72.3%	321 (20.5%)	454 (29.0%)	751 (47.9%)	8 (0.5%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (1.8%)	17.8	678^th of 838 public high schools	19.1%		21.6	658^th of 844 public high schools	22.0%	20				36.0	38.0					23.0	27.0	47.0	60.0		$9,999	$1,288	$8,711
Chain Of Lakes Collegiate High	Public, Charter	10-12	999 Avenue H NE	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 298-6800	340	7	48.5		139 (40.9%)	65 (19.1%)	121 (35.6%)	8 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	94.5	2^nd of 838 public high schools	99.8%		96.2	1^st of 844 public high schools	99.9%	1					97.0								95.0		$7,080	$08	$7,072
New Beginnings High School	Public, Charter	6-12	250 Magnolia Ave SW	Winter Haven	33880	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	Yes	(863) 268-5666	997	15	66.4	77.3%	184 (18.5%)	327 (32.8%)	445 (44.6%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.3%)	2.2	793^rd of 838 public high schools	5.4%		2.5	794^th of 844 public high schools	5.9%	1			13.0	11.0	9.0			0.0		11.0	3.0		8.0		$9,680	$307	$9,374
Ridge Teen Parent Program	Public	6-12	7700 Lucerne Park Rd	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 299-2512	11	0		63.6%	3 (27.3%)	3 (27.3%)	5 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Ridge Technical Academy	Public	6-12	7700 State Road 544	Winter Haven	33881	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 419-3060	103	8	12.8	68.9%	32 (31.1%)	17 (16.5%)	53 (51.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)								(n/a)													77.0		$12,338	$1,136	$11,203

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Wales Senior High School

Is Lake Wales Senior High School a good school?

Lake Wales Senior High School ranks 332^nd of 838 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lake Wales Senior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,597 students attended Lake Wales Senior High School.

What district is Lake Wales Senior High School in?

Polk

What is the racial makeup of Lake Wales Senior High School?

Students at Lake Wales Senior High School are 41% White, 36% Hispanic, 19% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.