History

Lake Wales High School sits on over 75 acres of property in North Lake Wales. The campus directly borders the southern boundary of Bok Tower Gardens, allowing the ideal partnership for studies in the area of environment, wellness, agriculture, and tourism. The campus is well suited to create the Academies and with modifications will become a center for top-quality education for the region through the Lake Wales Charter Schools. The school location, along the Lake Wales Ridge, places it in a wonderful supportive community bordered by agriculture and industry and the proximity to Florida’s High Tech Corridor makes it an excellent location to develop many various partnerships that will encourage students to excel and flourish. The Lake Wales Charter Schools is prepared to institute the life and philosophy of Edward W. Bok at Lake Wales High School. This change in culture and climate at this institution fits in well with the Lake Wales Charter Schools mission and will have a substantive impact on the Lake Wales community.

The Lake Wales Charter Schools are prepared to institute the life and philosophy of Edward W. Bok at Lake Wales High School. This change in culture and climate at this institution fits in well with the Lake Wales Charter Schools missions an will have a substantive impact on the Lake Wales community.

Alma Mater:

Hail to the Highlanders,
We sing their praises high; May the Orange and Black
Of Lake Wales High School ever signify
Glory and honor and loyalty; Hail Highlanders, hail to thee, Lake Wales High, our Alma Matter, We sing our praise to thee.

Colors:

Orange and Black

Tartan:

Macleod Dress Lewis

In 2004, the Lake Wales community decided to take control of its schools and design a model system. Using Florida’s charter school law, the teachers and parents voted to support community leadership and converted five public schools into a locally governed community school system – the Lake Wales Charter Schools. The charter schools continue as public schools but are no longer operated by a large, out-of-town bureaucracy. Now Lake Wales has a local system led by a Board of Trustees that has the ability to grant schools the freedom to be flexible and creative. Students have responded with improved academic achievement and there has been a substantial reduction in discipline issues.

Lake Wales Senior High School was constituted in 1924 and had a total student body of 85 students, five full time faculty members, and one administrator. Today Lake Wales High School is a member of the Lake Wales Charter Schools System. The Highlanders presently host over 1300 students, over 90 full time Faculty members and Paraprofessionals, three Guidance Counselors, a Career Specialist, six Administrators, and one School Resource Officer. While our facilities have changed (the original school burned in 1977 and presently houses a community center) and our Faculty and Student population has grown and diversified, our core ideologies remain the same

Freshman Academy
Leadership Training/Ethics
Design Principles and Mathematical Thinking
Entrepreneurial Studies
Meta-cognition
TED: Technology, Entertainment & Design

These Core Spirals will form the base of learning for each student at Lake Wales High School. Leadership and ethics are strong elements of The Bok Way and will be integrated at all levels of learning. A Freshman Academy will provide each entering student with the tools necessary for success. Design thinking will be taught through each Center of Excellence

About our School

School Grade: B

History of Lake Wales Charter School System

Brief School History

Core Keystone Spirals

The Bok Way