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Public high school · Polk · Lakeland, Florida

Kathleen Senior High School

Kathleen Senior High School rates 4.8, right at the middle of Polk's high schools, whose rated median is 4.5.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.8this school

4.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Polk median is 4.5.

#3,215 of 3,811 schools in Florida · Polk: 31 high schools rated, median 4.5

The brief

A Polk high school where students score 16 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 3,215 of 3,811 schools in Florida and 100 of 155 in Polk.

Kathleen Senior High School is listed in Polk, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math24%25 points below the Florida average of 49%High-school course exams · 835 students tested · 2026 FAST
Reading46%15 points below the Florida average of 61%Grades 9–10 · 887 students tested · 2026 FAST
Proficiency declined earlier in the 18-year record (2009–2026), then recovered 10 points since 2021, reaching 35% in 2026.2026 FAST; 34 test records from FL state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.5
25% of the rating
Academics
3.1
25% of the rating
College Readiness
5.5
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.7
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 31% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 36% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 FAST · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 FAST · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 33815; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Kathleen Senior High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$36,445
Median home value
$42,700
Median rent
$1,078/mo
College educated
10.6%
Homeownership
58.1%
Poverty rate
22.2%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 33815; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
31
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
38
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,900/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Lakeland. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Lakeland), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
2 AP courses
19.9% participation · state average 2.4 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
24 sports
11 boys' · 13 girls' · 24 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
67.7%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 6.8Compare →
  2. 5.9Compare →
  3. 5.9Compare →
  4. 5.2Compare →
  5. Kathleen Senior High Schoolthis school
    4.8
  6. 4.3Compare →
  7. not ratedCompare →
Six grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Kathleen Senior High School among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Kathleen Senior High School serve?

Kathleen Senior High School serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Kathleen Senior High School?

Kathleen Senior High School has an enrollment of approximately 1,951 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Kathleen Senior High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Kathleen Senior High School is 23:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Kathleen Senior High School rank in FL?

Kathleen Senior High School ranks #3,215 of 3,811 schools in FL.

What is Kathleen Senior High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Kathleen Senior High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Kathleen Senior High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Kathleen Senior High School has 31% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 36% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Kathleen Senior High School a charter school?

No, Kathleen Senior High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Kathleen Senior High School a Title I school?

No, Kathleen Senior High School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Kathleen Senior High School?

67.7% of students at Kathleen Senior High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
1,951
Student-teacher ratio
23:1
Teachers (FTE)
85
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Polk County
4-year graduation
72.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#100 of 155
Schools in district
167
District spending per student
$11,242
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
17.0%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 33815)
14,457
Area average commute
26.2 min
Area median age
42.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Florida Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.