Lake Wales Charter Schools

School district in Florida, United States

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Lake Wales Charter Schools

130 East Central Avenue

Lake Wales

, Polk County, Florida, 33853
District information
Type| Public Charter School District
Established| October 22, 2003; 21 years ago (2003-10-22)
Superintendent| Wayne V. Rodolfich
School board|

Members

* Nicole Sealey
* Andy Blair
* Brian Marbutt
* Lori Hutto
* Tonya Stewart
* Paul Gerrard
* Rafael Unzueta

Chair of the board| Danny Gill
NCES District ID| 1200080[1]
Other information
Website| www.lwcharterschools.com

Lake Wales Charter Schools (LWCS) is a public charter school district headquartered in Lake Wales, Florida. The district serves the city of Lake Wales and nearby communities such as Frostproof, Dundee, and Winter Haven, Florida.

## History

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This article contains close paraphrasing of a copyrighted source, https://www.lwcharterschools.com/about (Copyvios report). Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help Wikipedia by rewriting this article in your own words. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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### Founding

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In November 2002, the Education Committee of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce initiated a Feasibility Study to assess the potential enhancements for the Lake Wales area schools. Over a span of two months, this study involved 157 interviews and culminated in the publication and distribution of a "Report on Feasibility Study"[2] on January 31, 2003. The report revealed several key findings:

1. It highlighted a consensus within the community that education had become a significant concern.
2. There was a shared belief that the community should take responsibility for the quality of its schools.
3. Emphasis was placed on the importance of creating a solution that would benefit all students across various schools, without elitist distinctions.
4. All students were seen as needing a solid foundation in fundamental subjects, particularly reading.
5. The curriculum was envisioned to be more practical, offering real-world educational choices relevant to local families and the regional economy.

Following the Feasibility Study, an organizing group was established in early February to develop a plan for implementing a system of public charter schools in Lake Wales. This group comprised individuals identified in the study as having deep concerns about education and holding high credibility within the community.

According to Florida charter school law, obtaining charter status necessitated favorable votes from both the teachers and parents of a given school before applying to the school board.[3] Favorable votes from the faculty were secured at five schools: Lake Wales High School, Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Janie Howard Wilson Elementary, and Polk Avenue Elementary. Subsequently, votes were conducted among the parents at these schools, with remarkable consistency, resulting in 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, and 75% in favor of conversion.

In September 2003, the organizers submitted comprehensive and thorough charter status applications to the Polk County School Board for each of the five schools. These applications were approved at a school board meeting on October 22, 2003, granting conversion charter status to all five schools. Consequently, Lake Wales Charter Schools, Inc. welcomed its first students in August 2004.[4]

The initial Board of Trustees included Gail Crum (teacher representative), Richard "Dick" Howell, Albert Kirkland, Joyce Otte, Jerome Mack, Clinton Horne, and Robin Gibson (chair).

### A Seamless System

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In August 2008, the LWCS introduced its own startup middle school, known as Edward W. Bok Academy, creating a seamless K-12 charter school system.[5]

### Growing

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Starting with the 2011-2012 school year, the Lake Wales Charter Schools system was designated as a local educational agency (LEA) by the Florida Legislature, responsible for managing federal programs and budgets.

## Schools

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### Elementary schools

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* Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary
* Hillcrest Elementary School
* Janie Howard Wilson Elementary School
* Polk Avenue Elementary School

### Middle schools

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* Edward W. Bok Academy South
* Edward W. Bok Academy North

### High school

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* Lake Wales High School

## References

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This article needs additional or more specific categories. Please help out by adding categories to it so that it can be listed with similar articles. (November 2023)

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1. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Lake Wales Charter Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
2. ^ Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce, Education Committee (January 31, 2003). "Report on Feasibility Study" (PDF).
3. ^ "1002.33 Charter schools". www.leg.state.fl.us. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
4. ^ Bair, Bill (August 1, 2004). "Changing Education". The Lakeland Ledger.
5. ^ Godefrin, Shelly (December 7, 2008). "Bok Academy campus set to open Wednesday". The Ledger.

## External links

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* Official website