Enrollment
1,985
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lakeland, FL
Lakeland Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Lakeland Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120159001703
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lakeland Senior High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #7 of 9
- high schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Florida
- 44.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lakeland Senior High School has class sizes larger than 74% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lakeland Senior High School ranks #7 of 9 high schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
102.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lakeland Senior High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lakeland Senior High School
Lakeland Senior High School is a large high school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 1,985 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,985 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 265 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #125.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.0% 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.
Discipline events run high: 526 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,985 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 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 Lakeland 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 Lakeland Senior High School compares
Lakeland 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 | 19.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.5% | ▼ 14% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,985 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,985
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Florida - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.0%
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 331 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
264
in-school suspensions + 262 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 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 38.8%
Hispanic or Latino 29.9%
African American 25.5%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 38.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Lakeland Senior High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Lakeland 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 Lakeland Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lakeland 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 (~1,985 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lakeland Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Lakeland 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 Lakeland Senior High School
How many students attend Lakeland Senior High School?
Lakeland Senior High School has 1,985 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lakeland Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lakeland Senior High School is 19.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lakeland Senior High School?
44.5% of students at Lakeland Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lakeland Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Lakeland Senior High School is White at 38.8% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lakeland Senior High School?
Lakeland Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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 Lakeland Senior High School rank among high schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Lakeland Senior High School ranks #7 of 9 high schools in Lakeland, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Lakeland on the city page.
Is Lakeland Senior High School a good school?
Lakeland Senior High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida. 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 Lakeland 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.