Enrollment
12
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · West Palm Beach, FL
Alternative Program Central
Federal NCES profile for Alternative Program Central, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120150003648
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alternative Program Central earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of Florida schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Florida.
- #23 of 33
- schools in West Palm Beach · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12:1
- small classes for Florida
- 23.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Alternative Program Central has class sizes smaller than 89% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alternative Program Central ranks #23 of 33 schools in West Palm Beach, FL.
School address
District: Palm Beach · Florida
NCES ID 120150003648 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alternative Program Central compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alternative Program Central
Alternative Program Central is a small combined-grade school in West Palm Beach, Florida, enrolling 12 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12:1, Alternative Program Central is leaner than roughly 89% of Florida schools and 33% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.1% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the Florida average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Florida schools, with 12 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 65/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students) and Jupiter High School (3,122 students) alongside Alternative Program Central.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Alternative Program Central compares
Alternative Program Central on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▼ 33% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.1% | ▼ 56% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 12 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
12
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 11% in Florida - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,727
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 50.0%
African American 25.0%
White 16.7%
Two or More 8.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.3, Alternative Program Central is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palm Beach, which includes Alternative Program Central.
$12,727
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 21.7%
Federal 15.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Alternative Program Central Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John I. Leonard High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jupiter High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Vista Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boca Raton Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palm Beach Lakes High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alternative Program Central's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,262
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,122
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,819
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~12 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alternative Program Central's federal record.
- Compare Alternative Program Central against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Beach's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Alternative Program Central
How many students attend Alternative Program Central?
Alternative Program Central has 12 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in West Palm Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alternative Program Central?
The student-teacher ratio at Alternative Program Central is 12:1, which is 33% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alternative Program Central?
23.1% of students at Alternative Program Central are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alternative Program Central?
The largest demographic group at Alternative Program Central is Hispanic or Latino at 50.0% of enrollment, in West Palm Beach, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alternative Program Central?
Alternative Program Central has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alternative Program Central rank among schools in West Palm Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Alternative Program Central ranks #23 of 33 schools in West Palm Beach, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in West Palm Beach on the city page.
Is Alternative Program Central a good school?
Alternative Program Central earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 89% of Florida schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Florida. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Palm Beach?
Besides Alternative Program Central, Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students), Jupiter High School (3,122 students), and Park Vista Community High School (2,881 students). See the Palm Beach district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.