Lakeland Highlands Middle Gym Opens As School’s First Indoor Gym
Lakeland Highlands Middle School opened a 15,000-square-foot gymnasium on Oct. 14, the campus’s first indoor gym since it opened in 1975. A ribbon-cutting was held at the school that morning.
The building cost about $10 million and was paid for with the Polk County school district’s half-cent sales tax, which county voters renewed in 2018. Construction started in June 2025, and Polk County Public Schools held a groundbreaking ceremony at the school that October. The district had projected a July 2026 finish, and the work wrapped up over the summer.
Plans for the space put basketball and volleyball games, physical education classes, school assemblies, and community events under one roof. The district has said the building is also available for community use.
The project is one of several happening in Polk County. In recent years, the district has built new gyms at Denison Middle, Lake Gibson Middle, McLaughlin Academy of Excellence and Westwood Middle, and a new gym at Bartow Middle School is nearing completion.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the new Lakeland Highlands Middle gym and what did it cost?
The gymnasium is about 15,000 square feet and cost about $10 million, according to Polk County Public Schools.
How was the new gym paid for?
It was funded by the Polk County school district’s half-cent sales tax, which county voters renewed in 2018.
Did Lakeland Highlands Middle School have a gym before?
No. The district says this is the school’s first indoor gym. Lakeland Highlands Middle opened in 1975.
Where is Lakeland Highlands Middle School?
The school is at 740 Lake Miriam Drive in Lakeland, and its phone number is 863-648-3500.
Which other Polk County middle schools have new gyms?
Polk County Public Schools says it has built new gyms at Denison Middle, Lake Gibson Middle, McLaughlin Academy of Excellence and Westwood Middle in recent years. A new gym at Bartow Middle School is nearing completion.
Sources: “Lakeland Highlands Middle Officially Debuts New Gymnasium,” Polk County Public Schools, polkschoolsfl.com, Oct. 14, 2026; “PCPS Breaks Ground on New Gym at Lakeland Highlands Middle,” Polk County Public Schools, polkschoolsfl.com, Oct. 27, 2025; “Lakeland Highlands Middle School,” Polk County Public Schools, lakelandhighlands.polkschoolsfl.com, undated.
