Loften High School
Encyclopedia
The Professional Academies' Magnet @ Loften High School (or W. Travis Loften High School) is a public high school
in Gainesville
, Florida
in the United States
. It is part of Alachua County School District
and occupies a 174 acre (0.70415364 km²) campus in a medium-sized community.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of Alachua County School District
Alachua County School District
Alachua County Public Schools is a public school district serving Alachua County, Florida, and the Gainesville Area. The district currently has a student population of 29,533. The school district has been criticized in the past for overcrowding and its lack of action to remedy this...
and occupies a 174 acre (0.70415364 km²) campus in a medium-sized community.
Overview
Unlike other high schools in the area, Loften is not a school where students are regularly zoned to attend and assigned. Loften remains a "school of choice" where students must actively seek the school out and apply as opposed to simply showing up due to location. While this ensures only students who really want to go actually attend, it also means that Loften has a very small student body. Because of this, Loften averages only 300-400 students in the day time. These students are divided among 24 teachers in a 4-period block schedule. In the community, it is noted for having a very liberal mindset and being unorthodox. It is a common rumor that Loften is a school for "bad kids" to be sent, but in reality has an average of one fight per year with very little other violations. For all ~350 students, only one dean is employed.Childcare
Loften is home to the Alachua County Continuing Education for Pregnant Teens (ACCEPT). The program focuses on pregnant teens and teen mothers, attempting to continue their education. Loften is the only high school in the area with an on-campus daycare for use by the students. The daycare is provided free of charge and cares for the children from the beginning to the end of a full school day.Career focus
Beginning in the Fall of 2007, Loften became Alachua County's premier school for career and technical education. In total, it has four career oriented programs including:- Academy of Design & Technology (AoDT)
- Academy of Fire & EMS (Firefighting/Emergency Medical Services)
- Academy of Automotive Technology
- Academy of Early Childhood Education
Administration
- Principal: Dr. Chet Sanders
- Assistant Principal: Cheryl Allen
- Dean: Herbert Pindar