Ridge Technical Academy

Ridge Technical Academy is a public high school located in Winter Haven, Florida, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 143 students. The school is part of the Polk School District, which is ranked 61 out of 67 districts in Florida and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past three school years, Ridge Technical Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Florida high schools, with rankings between 440 and 599 out of around 800 schools.

Ridge Technical Academy faces significant challenges, as evidenced by its consistently low performance on key metrics compared to nearby schools. The school has had four-year graduation rates ranging from 78.3% to 89.7%, which is generally lower than the nearby Lake Region High School, Auburndale Senior High School, and Winter Haven Senior High School. Additionally, the school has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 30.9% to 42.4% in recent years, significantly higher than the state and district averages. Ridge Technical Academy's test scores are also consistently lower than the Polk district and Florida state averages across various subjects and grade levels.

The school's unique characteristics, such as its small student population of 143 students and its close proximity to the Ridge Teen Parent Program, may contribute to the challenges it faces. Additionally, the significant fluctuations in per-student spending at Ridge Technical Academy, ranging from $10,921 to $25,262 over the past few years, suggest changes in funding or resource allocation that could impact the school's performance. Overall, the data indicates the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes at Ridge Technical Academy.