Hardee
Public school district · Hardee County · Florida · NCES district ID 1200750
Hardee spent $11,932 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 57% of the other Florida districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,744). Its 9 schools enrolled 4,547 students in 2024-25; 47.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,694 per student, up 6.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 81% (Florida: 88%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Florida districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Hardee in enrollment (3,313 to 6,398 students) and Hardee itself.
Where the money came from
$65,186,000 in revenue: 47.5% state, 25.0% local and 27.5% federal. Total spending including $4,561,000 of capital outlay was $65,006,000, or $13,264 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$30,960,000 47%
- Local$16,307,000 25%
- Federal$17,919,000 27%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 66 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
4,901 students in 2022-23, 4,725 students in 2023-24, 4,547 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 4,901 | 287.0 | 17.1 |
| 2023-24 | 4,725 | 285.0 | 16.6 |
| 2024-25 | 4,547 | 261.0 | 17.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$17,059,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,481 per student
Hardee booked $17,059,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 287 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $59,439 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 57 in 100 Florida districts with a figure (state median $58,157, 66 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Florida teacher salary at $51,230 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $13,591,000 | 79.7% |
| Special education | $2,070,000 | 12.1% |
| Vocational | $659,000 | 3.9% |
| Other programs | $739,000 | 4.3% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,223 in 2018-19, $2,824 in 2019-20, $3,273 in 2020-21, $3,086 in 2021-22, $3,481 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Hardee scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 55% in math, against 53% in reading and 55% in math across Florida. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Florida, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Florida | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 47% | 53% | 2,224 |
| Math | 55% | 55% | 2,222 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
81% of the 365 students in Hardee's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Florida. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 81% | 88% |
| Students in the class | 365 | 208,274 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
5 elementary schools, 2,163 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wauchula Elementary School | 577 | 15.6 | 69.2% | Schoolwide program |
| North Wauchula Elementary School | 516 | 14.3 | 71.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Zolfo Springs Elementary School | 512 | 14.6 | 68.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Hilltop Elementary School | 298 | 15.7 | 69.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Bowling Green Elementary School | 260 | 14.4 | 74.2% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 high schools, 2,332 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee Senior High School | 1,347 | 22.5 | 62.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Hardee Junior High School | 958 | 17.4 | 69.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Pioneer Career Academy | 27 | 27.0 | 77.8% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 52 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee Virtual Franchise | 52 | not reported | 19.2% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Hardee
- Website: hardee.k12.fl.us
- Phone: (863) 773-9058
- Office: 1009 N 6th Ave, Wauchula, FL 33873
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Hardee
- Florida districts by spending per studentHardee ranks 29 of 66 Florida districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,932).#29 of 66
- Every school district in FloridaHardee is the number 51 by size of 80 Florida districts, with 4,901 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#51 of 80
- Lake Wales Charter SchoolsThe next larger Florida district: 4,925 students in fall 2022.
- GadsdenThe next smaller Florida district: 4,616 students in fall 2022, $13,871 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,871
- Compare Hardee with Lake Wales Charter SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Hardee Senior High School, its largest high school1,347 students in 2024-25, 22.5 per teacher.1,347
- Teacher salary spending across FloridaHardee spent $59,439 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $58,157); spending, not a salary.$59,439
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Hardee
How many schools and students are in Hardee?
9 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 3 high, 1 other), enrolling 4,547 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Hardee spend per student?
$11,932 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Florida median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,744 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,694 per student, up 6.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Hardee's money come from?
$65,186,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 47.5% state, 25.0% local and 27.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Hardee live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,079 of the 4,746 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 22.7%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Hardee spend on teacher salaries?
$17,059,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,481 per student. Divided by the 287 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $59,439 per teacher, more than 57 in 100 Florida districts (state median $58,157). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Florida teacher salary at $51,230 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Hardee do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Hardee scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 55% in math, against 53% in reading and 55% in math across Florida. Florida's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Hardee?
81% of the 365 students in Hardee's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Florida. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Hardee's NCES district ID?
1200750. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25