IDEA Lakeland: charter school lottery, grades and contacts

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Sources: IDEA Public Schools’ page for IDEA Lakeland and its apply page, Polk County Public Schools and its charter schools page, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades and the City of Lakeland’s address records.

IDEA Lakeland is a public charter school on Interstate Drive, inside the Lakeland city limits, run by IDEA Public Schools, a charter network with schools in Texas, Florida and Ohio. The campus was founded in 2024 and serves kindergarten through eighth grade in 2026-27, with 861 students currently enrolled, according to IDEA’s page for the school. Charter schools are sponsored by the Polk County School Board, run by their own boards and have no attendance zones.

Who to call

• Front office: 863-340-1556, 1775 Interstate Drive, Lakeland, FL 33805
• Student records: the registrar, 863-340-1556, ext. 3
• Applications: IDEA’s apply page
• District charter office: Polk County Public Schools Office of Charter Schools, 863-534-0625

Principal. Debra Wright is the principal, according to IDEA’s page for the campus, which also lists an assistant principal of operations, a student enrollment coordinator and a parent representative to the IDEA Florida governing board.

Enrollment

• School’s count: 861 students “currently enrolled,” according to IDEA’s page for the campus.
• Federal count: IDEA Lakeland does not appear in the NCES directory for 2024-25, the latest year we checked, so there is no federal enrollment or teacher figure yet.

State report card

IDEA Lakeland does not appear in the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file. Florida grades schools A to F each summer on test scores, learning gains and, for older grades, acceleration measures; graded schools’ results are on the state’s school report cards site. IDEA’s page for the campus has a “Campus Performance” section.

How admission works

From IDEA’s apply page:

• Lottery. IDEA admits students by lottery. “To be part of our student lottery you must submit your child’s application by midnight CST the evening before,” the page says.
• Results. Families check their status, and accept or decline an offer, through IDEA’s STREAM account system. When we checked, the page said the lottery “is now complete for all Texas and Florida regions.”
• Waitlist. Students not offered a seat are placed on a waitlist for the rest of the 2027-28 school year. They may also attend a different IDEA school and transfer if a seat opens, IDEA says.

That matches the rule for every Florida charter school: when applications exceed capacity, “all applicants shall have an equal chance of admittance through a random selection process or lottery,” according to Polk County Public Schools’ charter schools page.

Calendar and hours

IDEA publishes its own academic calendars, linked from the campus page under Quick Links, along with transportation, uniform and cafeteria information. Call the front office at 863-340-1556 for bell times.

More on Lakeland schools

• The district’s charter schools page, with how charter schools are run and the charter office’s contacts
• Every public school in Lakeland, with zones and report cards
• Our Lakeland schools guide for the full calendar, enrollment steps and School Board meetings

Frequently asked questions

How do students get into IDEA Lakeland?

IDEA Public Schools admits students by lottery. Families apply online before the lottery deadline; students who are not offered a seat go on a waitlist for the rest of the school year, according to IDEA.

What grades does IDEA Lakeland serve?

Kindergarten through eighth grade in 2026-27, according to IDEA’s page for the campus, which lists 861 students currently enrolled.

Does IDEA Lakeland have a Florida school grade?

No. IDEA Lakeland does not appear in Florida’s 2026 school grades file.

Who is the principal of IDEA Lakeland?

Debra Wright is the principal, according to IDEA Public Schools’ page for the campus.