George W. Jenkins High School serves Lakeland, Florida, a city with a population of 94,000 and a surrounding community of more than 600,000. The school, more commonly known to its students as "George Jenkins" or "Jenkins," is part of the Polk County School system. It was founded in 1993 and named after George W. Jenkins, founder of Publix, the Lakeland-based supermarket chain. The school was opened to relieve overcrowding at Lakeland High School, Kathleen High School, and Bartow High School.