Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida)

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For other places with the same name, see Lakeland High School (disambiguation).
Lakeland High School
Location
726 Hollingsworth Road
Lakeland, FL 33801
USA
Information
Principal Mark Thomas
Enrollment

1116
Faculty 125 [1]
Type Public
Motto nulli secundus
(second to none)
Mascot Dreadnaught
Color(s) Orange & Black
Established 1898
Information (863) 499-2900
Athletics Class 5A
Homepage http://www.lakelandhighschool.com/

Lakeland High School is the oldest public high school in Lakeland, Florida. Lakeland High School belongs to the Polk County School Board and is a member of Polk District Schools. Lakeland High School was the original high school in the city. It also shares its campus with The Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts (Harrison Arts Center). Harrison students attend academic classes at Lakeland High School. In 2001 Lakeland High underwent a massive renovation. The school's athletics teams are known as the Lakeland Dreadnaughts.

Contents

[edit] Academics

[edit] Departments

  • Art
  • Agriculture
  • Business/Marketing Education
  • English
  • APE English Page
  • Foreign Language
  • Guidance
  • Family/Consumer Science
  • JROTC
  • Mathematics
  • Media
  • Music
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Exceptional Student Education
  • Technology Education [2]

[edit] State School Grades

2007 Overall Grade: D[3]

  • Adequate Yearly Progress: Yes
  • Writing Percent Proficient: 92%
  • Reading Percent Proficient: 90%
  • Math Percent Proficient: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 99%

[edit] Athletics

[edit] Football

Lakeland High is home to a football team that was ranked number one nationally by USA Today in 2005 and 2006 under head coach Bill Castle.[4] The football team has three intra-city rivals: traditional opponents Kathleen and Lake Gibson, and newer rival George Jenkins. The team was Florida state champions in 1986, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006; and was undefeated in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Dreadnaught Football team also won National Titles in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Lakeland was ranked No. 1 in the nation by the USA Today Top 25 national rankings list. [5] In 2007, the University of Florida Gators, coming off a BCS National Championship, signed seven players from Lakeland High. [6]

[edit] The Streak

The Dreadnaughts won 53 consecutive games, including playoffs, during the 2005-06, 06-07, and 07-08 seasons to set a new FHSAA record. Rival Osceola, which Lakeland had defeated 7-3 during the 06-07 season, snapped the streak in 07-08, defeating Lakeland 25-21 on a late touchdown.

[edit] Mascot

Lakeland High School's mascot is the Dreadnaught. Named after the World War 1-era British battleship HMS Dreadnaught, the name was brought to LHS in the 1920s by a Scottish schoolmaster.

[edit] Band

The Lakeland High School Band is in its 84th year in 2008. In 1987, the wind ensemble earned the John Philip Sousa Foundation's Sudler Flag of Honor. In 1994, the symphony band also received this award. This makes Lakeland High the first school to receive the award twice. In 2006, the band was awarded the Otto J. Kraushaar Award, presented by the Florida Bandmasters Association in recognition for receiving straight superiors yearlong in district marching, district concert, and state concert festivals.

[edit] Notable alumni

  • Lawton Chiles, Governor of Florida from 1991-1998, Class of 1948
  • Bob Coldeen, TV sports commentator for KSPN - Saipan, CNMI, Class of 1969
  • Allen Hunt, Talk Radio Host, Class of 1982
  • Rod Smart, running back for Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII, and now Team Tennessee (AAFL), also known as "He Hate Me" during his time in the short-lived XFL, Class of 1996
  • Hazel Haley, taught English from 1940-2006, and at Lakeland High 1952-2006 (her retirement). Died April 2008. Class of 1933

[edit] Old Lakeland High School

See main article: Old Lakeland High School

The Old Lakeland High School (also known as the Polk Opportunity Center) is a historic school in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It is located at 400 North Florida Avenue. On September 30, 1993, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Over the years the building has housed several different schools including the Polk Opportunity Center and Lakeland Middle Academy. Lakeland Middle Academy was renamed Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in 1999, to honor the passing of former Florida governor Lawton Chiles -- himself an alumnus of Lakeland High School.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Faculty of LHS: Faculty and Staff. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  2. ^ The Departments of LHS: Departments. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  3. ^ ayp0506pinellas_washington.xls. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  4. ^ Final 2005 Super 25 football rankings. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  5. ^ - Lakeland No. 1 in nation USA Today
  6. ^ - University of Florida signs 7 players from Lakeland

[edit] External links