Polk State Lakeland Collegiate and Chain of Lakes earn Schools of Excellence designation for 2024-25

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School and Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School continue to flex when it comes to academic excellence. For the 2024-2025 Academic Year, the two schools were recognized as Schools of Excellence by the Florida Department of Education – the only high schools in Polk County.

The Schools of Excellence program was created by the 2017 Florida Legislature to recognize schools with grades in the 80th percentile or higher for their grade groupings for at least two of the last three school years. To qualify, schools also must receive an A or B grade in each of the most recent three school years.

“We are, once again, so proud of the students, faculty and staff at CHS for being recognized as one of the best schools in the state of Florida,” Lakeland Collegiate Principal Rick Jeffries said. “It’s a testament to the dedication of our entire school community who work hard every day to achieve excellence.”

For the 2024-2025 year, all three of Polk State College’s collegiate high schools received an A grade for the first time. The only two schools from the Polk County Public Schools district to earn Schools of Excellence, Lakeland Collegiate and Chain of Lakes recently received the top two grades in the district based on the Florida School Accountability Report.

“This recognition is so special because it truly reflects the efforts of our students, faculty, staff and stakeholders,” Chain of Lakes Collegiate Principal Patrice Bryant-Thigpen added. “We pride ourselves in cultivating a culture of excellence, and earning this distinction for the seventh consecutive year reassures us that we are providing an outstanding educational opportunity for the students in our community.”

Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School also continues to see great success. Prior to the 2023-24 Academic Year, Gateway received a school improvement rating instead of a school grade due to differences in its mission. After earning a B for the 2023-2024 year, Gateway received an A for the first time this past academic year.

Polk State’s collegiate high schools allow students to simultaneously complete requirements for their high school diplomas while earning college credits at no cost to them. In most cases, students graduate with both their high school diplomas and Associate in Arts degrees.

Lakeland Collegiate and Gateway are each housed on Polk State’s Lakeland Campus while Chain of Lakes calls the Winter Haven Campus home. Lakeland Collegiate and Chain of Lakes accept 10th, 11th and 12th-grade students. Gateway serves 11th- and 12th-graders with at least 11 high school credits who are no older than 21.

For those interested in one of Polk State’s collegiate high schools, Gateway is holding information sessions on Nov. 4, Jan. 13 and Feb. 10. All three sessions take place at 6:30 p.m. at LTB 1100 on the Lakeland Campus. Lakeland Collegiate and Chain of Lakes plan to announce info session dates soon.