General Information
School Information:
McLaughlin
800 South 4th Street, Lake Wales, FL 33853
Phone: 863-678-4233
Office Hours:
6:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
School Hours:
7:00 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
New Student Enrollment:
8:00am – 10:00am
Instructional time is sacred.
Parents, please try to scheduled appointments after 2:15 p.m. In order to maximize instruction time, we will not allow students to check out after 1:05 p.m.
Our History
McLaughlin Middle School began serving students in the Lake Wales area in 1964 as a Junior High, and it has progressed into McLaughlin Middle & Fine Arts Academy. McLaughlin Middle is a community school with a long, rich history of community support.
In 2011, the Fine Arts department earned the prestigious “Arts Achieve!” Model School honor resulting from exemplary arts programs, outstanding talent, and strong community connections for the years of 2011-2014.

The school is located in the beautiful town of Lake Wales, established on the highest Bok Tower point on Central Florida’s geographical ridge known for its culture. McLaughlin serves a rural community in eastern Polk County in an area commonly known as “The Ridge”.