Enrollment
704
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lakeland, FL
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Federal NCES profile for Lawton Chiles Middle Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120159003015
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 8
- middle schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 32.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy has class sizes larger than 79% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lawton Chiles Middle Academy ranks #2 of 8 middle schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lawton Chiles Middle Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy is a mid-sized middle school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 704 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 704 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 621 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #83.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 352 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 2 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 Lawton Chiles Middle Academy.
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 Lawton Chiles Middle Academy compares
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.7:1 | ▲ 16% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 37% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 704 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
704
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in Florida - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
11.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 352 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 103 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 44.6%
Hispanic or Latino 22.9%
African American 22.2%
Asian 6.8%
Two or More 3.6%
Largest group: White at 44.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Lawton Chiles Middle Academy is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Lawton Chiles Middle Academy.
$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 Lawton Chiles Middle Academy 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 | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lawton Chiles Middle Academy'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 middle 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 (~704 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lawton Chiles Middle Academy's federal record.
- Compare Lawton Chiles Middle Academy 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 Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
How many students attend Lawton Chiles Middle Academy?
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy has 704 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy is 20.7:1, which is 16% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy?
32.7% of students at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lawton Chiles Middle Academy?
The largest demographic group at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy is White at 44.6% 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 Lawton Chiles Middle Academy?
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lawton Chiles Middle Academy rank among middle schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Lawton Chiles Middle Academy ranks #2 of 8 middle 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 middle schools in Lakeland on the city page.
Is Lawton Chiles Middle Academy a good school?
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Lawton Chiles Middle Academy, 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.