Lawton Chiles Academy

The Lawton Chiles Middle Academy family consisting of students, staff, parents, and the community are partners in guiding our students’ education bydeveloping a high interest in all academic areas with an emphasis on math, science, and technology, enabling students to maximize the development of their talents in music and the arts, providing a safe and orderly environment that is student-centered, promoting high expectations academically, socially, and technologically, equipping students to work at their highest capability, stressing verbal and written communication, focusing on the development of critical thinking and problems solving skills, integrating real world situations into the classroom, encouraging an acceptance of cultural differences, ideas, feelings, and talents through cooperative learning and social skills development, linking technology to learning in the classroom and developing proficiency in computer usage, and demonstrating strong parent support and commitment for the education of their child.

Lawton Chiles Middle Academy is fortunate to be housed in a beautiful old building with valued local history. Our building was built in 1927 as Lakeland High School. In fact, our school is named after our former Governor Lawton Chiles, who graduated from this school in 1948. After Lakeland High School built a new campus, Lakeland Junior High School was housed in our building, and then Polk Opportunity School. This building is now the site of L.C.M.A. We strive to keep the past alive while we look forward to the future. Lawton Chiles Middle Academy, a math, science, and technology magnet school, was developed as a result of a desegregation court order during the summer of 1992.

At Lawton Chiles Middle Academy our curriculum focuses on the Florida Sunshine State Standards. As a magnet school, our special emphasis is placed on mathematics, science, and technology. Each student attends eight periods each day, which include four academic subjects (math, science, language arts, and social studies), an integrated lab class or reading class, and two elective classes.

High expectations are evident at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy, which lead to high achievements for students who may earn high school credit while in middle school. High school credit is offered in algebra, Spanish I, and Latin I. Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average for conferment of high school credit.

Residences zoned for George Jenkins, Lakeland High School, Lake Gibson, the following high schools are eligible to apply at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy: George Jenkins, Lakeland, Kathleen, and Lake Gibson.