By Carl Fish | Daily Ridge News
Based Off Press Release From PSC
For the first time in Polk State College’s history, all three of its collegiate high schools have earned “A” grades from the Florida Department of Education for the 2024–2025 academic year.
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School joined its sister schools—Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate and Polk State Lakeland Collegiate—in receiving top marks. The milestone marks Gateway’s first-ever “A” rating, after earning a “B” last year following updates to its charter and academic mission.
“This is an exciting time for our collegiate high school,” said Gateway Principal Meesha Downing-Townsend. “This year’s school grade is the first of two consecutive A grades needed for Gateway to add a 10th-grade cohort in 2026–2027.”
Chain of Lakes and Lakeland collegiate high schools enrolled their first 10th-grade classes in August 2024 and have already reported strong academic results and high levels of student and parent satisfaction.
“We are hearing from more families that they wish they could start their collegiate high school journeys even sooner,” said Chain of Lakes Principal Patrice Bryant-Thigpen. “We are thrilled to see our school grade reflect the tireless work of our staff and students.”
Polk State Lakeland Gateway celebrated notable academic achievements this year, including recognition of the College’s youngest student to graduate with an Associate in Arts degree at age 15. The same student also earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, joining her peers at Chain of Lakes.
Students at all three collegiate high schools complete college credits while simultaneously working toward their high school diplomas, typically at no cost. Most students graduate with their college degrees in hand.
“Our students excel not only in academics but also in the unique college-level environment we provide,” said Lakeland Collegiate Principal Rick Jeffries. “They benefit from expert faculty, clubs, internships, and other enriching experiences.”
Gateway serves 11th and 12th-grade students on the Lakeland campus who are no older than 21 and meet the academic requirement of at least 11 high school credits. In 2024, nearly all of Gateway’s 136-member class earned an Associate in Arts degree, completing over 15,000 hours of community service and securing around $1.3 million in scholarships.
Lakeland Collegiate and Chain of Lakes Collegiate serve 10th through 12th-grade students. Chain of Lakes has held an “A” grade since 2015 and was previously ranked as the top public high school in Polk County by U.S. News & World Report. Both are located on Polk State’s Winter Haven and Lakeland campuses, respectively.
Applications are still being accepted for the 2025–2026 school year at Chain of Lakes and Lakeland Collegiate. More information is available at polk.edu/charter-high-schools.
