Lawton Chiles Middle Academy, 400 N. Florida Ave.: IB magnet for grades 6-8, 704 students (2024-25), an A in Florida's 2026 grades. 863-499-2742.
Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Sources: Polk County Public Schools, its magnet and choice schools page and Address Zoning tool, the school’s website, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades and the federal NCES school directory.
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy is a Polk County Public Schools magnet middle school in downtown Lakeland, in “one of Lakeland’s most iconic buildings,” its website says: the 1927 Lakeland High School, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The school took the name of Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, a 1948 Lakeland High graduate, in 1999, and in 2012 became the first middle school in Polk County to earn the International Baccalaureate designation, according to its about page.
Who to call
- Front office: 863-499-2742, 400 N. Florida Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801
- School website: lawtonchilesacademy.polkschoolsfl.com
- Magnet applications: the district’s Office of Acceleration and Innovation, 863-534-0631
- Buses: district Transportation Operations, 863-534-7300; transportation page
| Address | 400 N. Florida Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801 |
| Phone | 863-499-2742 |
| Grades | 6 to 8 |
| Principal | Antionette Kirby |
| Program | International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (magnet) |
| 2026 state grade | A (73% of points) |
Principal. Antionette Kirby is the principal, according to the school’s staff page.
Enrollment and teachers
- Federal count: 704 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 34 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 21 students per teacher.
State report card
Florida gave Lawton Chiles Middle Academy an A in its 2026 school grades, its third A in a row, with 73% of the points possible, according to the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file. The school’s state report card has results by student group; it is an interactive dashboard that could not be read for this page.
| 2026 school grade measure | Result |
|---|---|
| School grade | A (73% of points) |
| English language arts achievement | 76% |
| English language arts learning gains | 64% |
| Math achievement | 75% |
| Math learning gains | 64% |
| Science achievement | 71% |
| Social studies achievement | 94% |
| Middle school acceleration | 96% |
Florida grades schools A to F on the share of possible points earned across these measures. Achievement is the share of tested students on grade level; learning gains is the share who improved from the year before. For a middle school, A is 64% of points or more, B is 57% to 63% and C is 44% to 56%, the state’s file says.
How admission works
No address is zoned for Lawton Chiles. It is one of the district’s magnet schools, and under the district’s magnet and choice rules:
- Magnet zone. Families may apply only to magnet schools in the magnet zone where they live. Lawton Chiles is in the district’s Zone A, listed as Highland City and Lakeland. Of the 1,817 Lakeland city addresses we checked in the district’s Address Zoning tool, all but a handful list Lawton Chiles as their magnet school.
- Progression. Rising sixth graders at Lincoln Avenue Academy and Winston Academy of Engineering are assigned to Lawton Chiles, the district says.
- Selection. Open seats are filled by “computerized random selection.” No numbers or places in line are assigned, and the applicant pool is kept for one school year.
- Acceptance. An acceptance appears in the Parent Portal; families have 10 working days to accept and must register at the school with two proofs of address.
- Buses. The district provides transportation if the home is 2 miles or more from the school.
What the program offers
The district describes the school as an IB school “committed to high-quality, challenging education,” combining the IB Middle Years Programme with arts programs, a fabrication lab, a Digital Design course, an Environmental Symposium and academic competitions.
Calendar and bell times
From the district’s 2026-27 calendar (PDF), which the district labels tentative:
- Friday, Oct. 16: no school for students
- Friday, Oct. 30: early dismissal
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
- Nov. 23-27: fall break
- Monday, Dec. 21: winter break begins; students return Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027
Bell times. School hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the school’s about page.
More on Lakeland schools
- The district’s school listings, with every Polk County school
- 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 Lawton Chiles Middle Academy?
It is a Polk County magnet school with no attendance zone. Families in its magnet zone apply, and the district fills open seats by computerized random selection. Students in the Lincoln Avenue Academy and Winston Academy magnet programs move up to it automatically.
What is Lawton Chiles Middle Academy’s school grade?
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy earned an A in Florida’s 2026 school grades, with 73% of possible points, its third A in a row.
What grades does Lawton Chiles Middle Academy serve?
Grades 6 through 8, in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. It is at 400 N. Florida Ave. in downtown Lakeland; the main line is 863-499-2742.
What time does Lawton Chiles Middle Academy start?
School hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the school’s website.
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