LakeWalesNews.net - Communication Builds Our Community

Like a mushroom after a summer rain, a beautiful new gymnasium has popped up this week on the campus of McLaughlin Middle/High School of Excellence. The building is being... — Updated 9/15/2023

EDITOR'S NOTE: Students enrolled in the Bok Academy North agriculture program are excited for the opportunities they are being offered this year. Among those are participation in... — Updated 9/5/2023

Precautions are advised for strong winds and heavy rains due to the approach of Hurricane Idalia, still expected to move near Florida's Gulf Coast overnight on Wednesday. The 11:00... — Updated 8/29/2023

The threat of a direct strike from Hurricane Idalia on east Polk and the Lake Wales Ridge area continues to diminish this morning as the storm has continued on a northerly track... — Updated 8/29/2023

Thousands of area students will stream back to school tomorrow for an unusual Friday start to the new school year. Seven schools operated by Lake Wales Charter Schools and several... — Updated 8/10/2023

The Lake Wales Highlander of 100 years ago reveals much about the history of our community, including overcrowded schools and the divisive debate over free-range versus fences. A re... — Updated 7/30/2023

Teachers and staff preparing for a new school year at Spook Hill Elementary were the happy recipients of a complimentary "thanksgiving" lunch this week in gratitude for their... — Updated 7/26/2023

The conversion of the former McLaughlin Academy of Excellence, a middle school, into McLaughlin Middle/High School is moving ahead with the construction of a new gymnasium, the... — Updated 6/23/2023

Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) and Varsity Tutors have launched a new online tutoring partnership that brings live instruction and lessons to 40,000 students across the district.... — Updated 1/24/2023

Sir Richard V. Giordano KBE, an iconic American business leader who led a transformation of British corporate culture, creator of the BOC Challenge sailing race and Knight Commander... — Updated 1/23/2023

Polk County Public Schools’ graduation rate decreased to 78.3 percent in 2021-2022, according to the latest data released today by the Florida Department of Education. District... — Updated 1/15/2023

Thursday was an exciting day for both students and administrators of Lake Wales' McLaughlin Middle/High School as they broke ground for a new $15 million gymnasium, and welcomed... — Updated 12/21/2022

A special free learning opportunity is being offered to area Middle and High School students, who will learn and earn a special completion certificate as "Student Naturalists."The... — Updated 11/6/2022

A special free learning opportunity is being offered to area Middle and High School students, who will learn and earn a special completion certificate as "Student Naturalists."The... — Updated 11/6/2022

UPDATE: Polk County Public Schools will reopen on Tuesday, October 4. Students should be prepared to resume their normal class schedules at that time, according to school... — Updated 10/14/2022

Polk State College's campuses and centers will reopen on Monday, including the collegiate high schools, spokesperson Madison Fantozzi reported Sunday. Kyle Kennedy, spokesperson... — Updated 10/2/2022

In the aftermath of the ongoing surge in school shootings nationwide, Polk County Schools plan to conduct random "screenings" of students during the coming school year, which... — Updated 9/2/2022

Twenty-seven community leaders will soon begin exploring the complexities of managing one of the largest school districts in the nation. Inside PCPS - a new countywide leadership... — Updated 8/25/2022

A pair of forums offering voters a chance to hear from seven school board candidates has been moved to an online event due to the recent upsurge of Coved cases in Polk County. The... — Updated 7/28/2022

The August primary election will be the final chance to vote in some local races, including those for new school board members for four different seats on the seven-member board. A... — Updated 7/16/2022

A second public high school for Lake Wales moved a large step closer to reality last week after Polk County Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid proposed that McLaughlin Middle... — Updated 6/3/2022

Quickly advancing plans to co-locate a new high school on the campus of McLaughlin Middle School, administrators brought some 60 parents, students, teachers, and staff together... — Updated 6/1/2022

A heartfelt plea for peace and an end to the politicizing of the Lake Wales Charter Schools has been sent to more than 20 leaders of the system by former Board of Trustees Chairman... — Updated 4/14/2022

Lake Wales has been blessed by the creation of the Lake Wales Charter Schools system nearly two decades ago. Now representing seven schools educating students in grades 1 through... — Updated 3/19/2022

Given an opportunity to help heal the community after a divisive search for a new charter school superintendent, two city commissioners said "no." A resolution presented to the... — Updated 3/19/2022