Kathleen Senior High School

Summary:

Kathleen Senior High School is a public high school in Lakeland, Florida, serving 2,051 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Polk District, which is ranked 57 out of 68 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being located in Lakeland, Kathleen Senior High School consistently underperforms compared to nearby schools. The school has ranked in the bottom 25% of Florida high schools for the past 10 years, with graduation rates declining from 91.5% in 2019-2020 to just 71.9% in 2022-2023. Chronic absenteeism is also a significant issue, ranging from 28.1% to 48.4% over the past 5 years. Academically, the school struggles, scoring well below state and district averages on standardized tests, with proficiency rates as low as 13% in Algebra 1. The school also has a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 56.79% to 58.75% over the past 3 years.

When compared to nearby schools, the challenges at Kathleen Senior High School become even more apparent. For example, Lake Gibson Senior High School, just 5.8 miles away, outperforms Kathleen on key metrics like statewide ranking, graduation rate, and test scores. Even more striking is the comparison to McKeel Academy of Technology, a public charter school less than a mile away, which has a statewide ranking in the top 10% of Florida high schools, a 100% graduation rate, and proficiency rates that are 30-60 percentage points higher than Kathleen Senior High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1100 Red Devil Way
Lakeland, FL 33815

(863) 499-2655

District: Polk

SchoolDigger Rank:
609^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,249

Feeder schools for Kathleen Senior High School:

Elementary:	Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School
	Griffin Elementary School
	Jesse Keen Elementary School
	Kathleen Elementary School
	More...
	R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School
	Sleepy Hill Elementary School
Middle:	Kathleen Middle School
	Sleepy Hill Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 22.9

Number of students: 1,951

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.8%

White:

31.8%

African American:

22.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.7%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Kathleen Senior High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kathleen Senior High School ranks worse than 75.5% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 16^th among 26 ranked high schools in the Polk School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.29. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Kathleen Senior High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Kathleen Senior High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (41.8%), White (31.8%), African American (22.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 67.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kathleen Senior High School is 22.9. 20 high schools in the Polk School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Kathleen Senior High School employs 85 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kathleen Senior High School is $9,249, which is the 12^th highest among 26 high schools in the Polk School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Kathleen Senior High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Kathleen Senior High School 609^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Kathleen Senior High School in the ranking list.)

Polk:

SchoolDigger ranks Polk 57^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Kathleen Senior High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	24.20	394^th	484	18.6%
2005	17.68	410^th	487	15.8%
2006	21.04	391^st	477	18.0%
2007	30.76	398^th	563	29.3%
2008	32.94	404^th	577	30.0%
2009	31.21	429^th	587	26.9%
2010	37.30	431^st	620	30.5%
2011	38.00	433^rd	622	30.4%
2012	22.42	460^th	606	24.1%
2013	28.83	470^th	648	27.5%
2014	27.67	500^th	687	27.2%
2016	20.63	533^rd	693	23.1%
2017	19.23	542^nd	714	24.1%
2018	27.85	492^nd	716	31.3%
2019	22.69	543^rd	734	26.0%
2021	18.99	566^th	746	24.1%
2022	20.91	580^th	774	25.1%
2023	21.36	591^st	792	25.4%
2024	23.29	609^th	807	24.5%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Kathleen Senior High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1006	340	10	31	7	n/a	n/a	0	1394
1989	962	365	8	27	6	n/a	n/a	0	1368
1990	937	365	10	32	6	n/a	n/a	0	1350
1991	862	368	3	38	6	n/a	n/a	0	1277
1992	831	351	5	31	4	n/a	n/a	0	1222
1993	802	346	5	38	2	n/a	n/a	0	1193
1994	1028	337	10	66	0	n/a	n/a	0	1441
1995	1089	348	9	65	0	n/a	n/a	0	1511
1996	1089	348	9	65	0	n/a	n/a	0	1511
1997	1080	347	3	68	2	n/a	n/a	0	1500
1998	1023	324	4	69	1	n/a	n/a	0	1421
1999	1023	351	4	67	0	n/a	n/a	0	1445
2000	1050	377	7	92	1	n/a	n/a	0	1527
2001	1001	371	9	91	2	n/a	n/a	0	1474
2002	958	451	9	142	1	n/a	n/a	0	1561
2003	958	451	9	142	1	n/a	n/a	0	1561
2004	949	433	9	124	0	n/a	n/a	0	1515
2005	963	462	15	192	1	n/a	n/a	0	1633
2006	920	465	19	245	4	n/a	n/a	0	1653
2007	900	494	26	264	4	n/a	n/a	22	1710
2008	880	535	29	299	6	n/a	n/a	30	1779
2009	861	526	26	333	6	n/a	n/a	37	1789
2010	846	521	23	343	3	n/a	n/a	53	1789
2011	803	513	21	418	5	1	45	0	1806
2012	860	477	20	437	11	2	55	0	1862
2013	886	505	15	468	14	3	56	0	1947
2014	954	555	11	517	16	1	54	0	2108
2015	924	554	17	552	17	2	58	0	2124
2016	951	566	20	607	18	2	70	0	2234
2017	921	587	19	609	20	2	59	0	2217
2018	823	554	23	609	20	5	53	0	2087
2019	796	510	24	682	15	2	56	0	2085
2020	719	499	23	692	7	0	44	0	1984
2021	645	482	16	736	8	0	41	0	1928
2022	655	514	25	802	8	0	53	0	2057
2023	639	485	20	848	8	2	49	0	2051
2024	620	436	22	816	9	2	46	0	1951

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kathleen Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1394	78.0	17.8	17.1
1989	1368	84.0	16.2	17.8
1990	1350	81.0	16.6	0
1991	1277	82.0	15.5	21.5
1992	1222	81.0	15.0	17.5
1993	1193	68.0	17.5	22.1
1994	1441	81.0	17.8	27.7
1995	1511	70.0	21.6	29.3
1996	1511	70.0	21.6	29.3
1997	1500	80.0	18.8	30.5
1998	1421	82.0	17.3	29.7
1999	1445	79.0	18.3	33.1
2000	1527	81.0	18.9	33.5
2001	1474	79.0	18.7	33
2002	1561	74.0	21.1	36.8
2003	1561	74.0	21.1	36.8
2004	1515	80.0	18.9	39.3
2005	1633	84.0	19.4	33.6
2006	1653	89.0	18.6	49.7
2007	1710	95.0	18.0	51.2
2008	1779	104.5	17.0	34.1
2009	1789	121.6	17.3	54.8
2010	1789	101.5	17.6	60.5
2011	1806	107.0	16.8	62.5
2012	1862	102.0	18.2	66
2013	1947	103.0	18.9	59.4
2014	2108	108.0	19.5	59.9
2015	2124	107.0	19.8	62.2
2016	2234	105.0	21.2	51.1
2017	2217	105.0	21.1	48.4
2018	2087	106.0	19.6	48.7
2019	2085	98.0	21.2	49.4
2020	1984	96.0	20.6	48.3
2021	1928	94.0	20.5	56.8
2022	2057	92.0	22.3	57.5
2023	2051	92.0	22.2	58.8
2024	1951	85.0	22.9	67.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Kathleen Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1394	78.0	17.8	17.1
1989	1368	84.0	16.2	17.8
1990	1350	81.0	16.6	0
1991	1277	82.0	15.5	21.5
1992	1222	81.0	15.0	17.5
1993	1193	68.0	17.5	22.1
1994	1441	81.0	17.8	27.7
1995	1511	70.0	21.6	29.3
1996	1511	70.0	21.6	29.3
1997	1500	80.0	18.8	30.5
1998	1421	82.0	17.3	29.7
1999	1445	79.0	18.3	33.1
2000	1527	81.0	18.9	33.5
2001	1474	79.0	18.7	33
2002	1561	74.0	21.1	36.8
2003	1561	74.0	21.1	36.8
2004	1515	80.0	18.9	39.3
2005	1633	84.0	19.4	33.6
2006	1653	89.0	18.6	49.7
2007	1710	95.0	18.0	51.2
2008	1779	104.5	17.0	34.1
2009	1789	121.6	17.3	54.8
2010	1789	101.5	17.6	60.5
2011	1806	107.0	16.8	62.5
2012	1862	102.0	18.2	66
2013	1947	103.0	18.9	59.4
2014	2108	108.0	19.5	59.9
2015	2124	107.0	19.8	62.2
2016	2234	105.0	21.2	51.1
2017	2217	105.0	21.1	48.4
2018	2087	106.0	19.6	48.7
2019	2085	98.0	21.2	49.4
2020	1984	96.0	20.6	48.3
2021	1928	94.0	20.5	56.8
2022	2057	92.0	22.3	57.5
2023	2051	92.0	22.2	58.8
2024	1951	85.0	22.9	67.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kathleen Senior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$868 (11.7%)	$6,554 (88.3%)	$7,422
2019	$1,187 (15.1%)	$6,650 (84.9%)	$7,836
2020	$652 (8.4%)	$7,064 (91.6%)	$7,716
2021	$940 (12.1%)	$6,838 (87.9%)	$7,778
2022	$1,602 (19.1%)	$6,786 (80.9%)	$8,387
2023	$1,606 (17.4%)	$7,643 (82.6%)	$9,249

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kathleen Senior High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 543^rd of 734 High schools	Ranks 591^st of 792 High schools	0.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Senior High School)	39	33	6%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	45	44	1%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Kathleen Senior High School)	33	29	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Polk)	42	38	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Kathleen Senior High School)	51	42	9%
End of Course Biology 1 (Polk)	54	50	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Kathleen Senior High School)	48	46	2%
End of Course US History (Polk)	58	50	8%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Kathleen Senior High School)	20	16	4%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Polk)	51	41	10%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Kathleen Senior High School)	30	17	13%
End of Course Geometry (Polk)	54	37	17%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2085	2051	1.6%
African American	510	485	4.9%
American Indian	15	8	46.7%
Asian	24	20	16.7%
Hispanic	682	848	24.3%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	796	639	19.7%
Two or More Races	56	49	12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.4%	58.8%	9.4%

Schools Near Kathleen Senior High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)				FAST Math (2024)		Statewide Science Science (2024)	EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kathleen Senior High School	Public	9-12	1100 Red Devil Way	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2655	1,951	85	22.9	67.7%	620 (31.8%)	436 (22.3%)	816 (41.8%)	22 (1.1%)	9 (0.5%)	2 (0.1%)	46 (2.4%)	23.3	609^th of 807 public high schools	24.5%		21.4	591^st of 792 public high schools	25.4%	18			34.0	39.0				13.0	22.0	50.0	54.0		$9,249	$1,606	$7,643
McKeel Academy Of Technology	Public, Charter	7-12	1810 Parker St W	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	Yes	No	No	No	(863) 499-2818	1,722	77	22.3	36.1%	1,112 (64.6%)	129 (7.5%)	377 (21.9%)	61 (3.5%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	36 (2.1%)	80.8	64^th of 807 public high schools	92.1%		80.3	69^th of 792 public high schools	91.3%	5	78.0	70.0	68.0	80.0	84.0	84.0	63.0	73.0	86.0	92.0	82.0	94.0	$6,634	$1,152	$5,482
Polk Virtual Franchise	Public, Virtual	6-12	604 S. Central Ave	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 354-3999	0	11	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pace Center For Girls	Public	6-12	213 Tyler Ave	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 688-5596	57	5	11.4	70.2%	28 (49.1%)	15 (26.3%)	10 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.3%)								(n/a)
Lakeland Senior High School	Public	9-12	726 Hollingsworth Rd	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 499-2900	2,057	104	19.7	55.6%	816 (39.7%)	510 (24.8%)	598 (29.1%)	34 (1.7%)	9 (0.4%)	5 (0.2%)	85 (4.1%)	45.2	360^th of 807 public high schools	55.4%		40.7	381^st of 792 public high schools	51.9%	21			55.0	54.0				17.0	40.0	60.0	71.0		$8,113	$1,251	$6,862
Eckerd Connects Strive Academy	Public	6-12	1140 N Combree Rd	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(863) 413-2948	19	0		78.9%	7 (36.8%)	8 (42.1%)	4 (21.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Polk Grad Academy	Public	9-12	910 Lowry Ave	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 413-2948	20	0		75.0%	5 (25.0%)	7 (35.0%)	7 (35.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)								(n/a)
Fresh Start Community School	Public	10-12	910 Lowry Ave	Lakeland	33801	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	No	(863) 419-3486	133	5	26.6	67.7%	31 (23.3%)	40 (30.1%)	58 (43.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)								(n/a)
Lake Gibson Senior High School	Public	9-12	7007 Socrum Loop Rd N	Lakeland	33809	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 853-6100	2,039	88	23.1	59.7%	822 (40.3%)	469 (23.0%)	658 (32.3%)	29 (1.4%)	8 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	51 (2.5%)	29.9	544^th of 807 public high schools	32.6%		25	552^nd of 792 public high schools	30.3%	8			37.0	40.0				16.0	37.0	69.0	55.0		$8,393	$1,286	$7,107
Maynard A Traviss Technical Academy	Public	6-12	3225 Winter Lake Rd	Lakeland	33803	Polk County	Polk	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 499-2700	110	8	13.7	64.5%	49 (44.5%)	16 (14.5%)	39 (35.5%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	15.3	660^th of 807 public high schools	18.2%		15	641^st of 792 public high schools	19.1%	19									21.0		41.0		$11,249	$1,510	$9,740

Frequently Asked Questions about Kathleen Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Kathleen Senior High School?

Students at Kathleen Senior High School are 42% Hispanic, 32% White, 22% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Kathleen Senior High School?

Kathleen Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dr. NE Roberts Elementary School
Elementary : Griffin Elementary School
Elementary : Jesse Keen Elementary School
Elementary : Kathleen Elementary School
Elementary : R. Clem Churchwell Elementary School
Elementary : Sleepy Hill Elementary School
Middle : Kathleen Middle School
Middle : Sleepy Hill Middle School

How many students attend Kathleen Senior High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,951 students attended Kathleen Senior High School.

What district is Kathleen Senior High School in?

Polk

Is Kathleen Senior High School a good school?

Kathleen Senior High School ranks in the bottom 24.5% of Florida high schools.

Rate Kathleen Senior High School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.