Enrollment
1,597
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lake Wales, FL
Lake Wales Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Lake Wales Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120159001790Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 3
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Wales Senior High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Florida schools.
- #9 of 10
- public schools in Lake Wales · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.2:1
- large classes for Florida
- 54.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Wales Senior High School has class sizes larger than 91% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Wales Senior High School ranks #9 of 10 public schools in Lake Wales, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Wales Senior High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Wales Senior High School
Lake Wales Senior High School is a higher-need, large charter high school in Lake Wales, Florida, enrolling 1,597 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.2:1 is larger than about 91% of Florida schools and 36% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.2% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,597 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 383 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #350, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 532 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Lake Wales Senior High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Lake Wales Senior High School compares
Lake Wales Senior High School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.2:1 | ▲ 36% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.2% | ▲ 4% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,597 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,597
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 91% in Florida - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
35.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,454
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 532 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 206 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 41.2%
Hispanic or Latino 35.5%
African American 18.6%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 41.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Lake Wales Senior High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Lake Wales Senior High School.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Lake Wales Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Wales Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,597 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Wales Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Lake Wales Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Polk's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Lake Wales Senior High School
How many students attend Lake Wales Senior High School?
Lake Wales Senior High School has 1,597 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lake Wales, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Wales Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Wales Senior High School is 24.2:1, which is 36% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lake Wales Senior High School?
54.2% of students at Lake Wales Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Wales Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Lake Wales Senior High School is White at 41.2% of enrollment, in Lake Wales, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Wales Senior High School?
Lake Wales Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lake Wales Senior High School rank among public schools in Lake Wales?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Wales Senior High School ranks #9 of 10 public schools in Lake Wales, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lake Wales on the city page.
Is Lake Wales Senior High School a good school?
Lake Wales Senior High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Polk?
Besides Lake Wales Senior High School, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.