Enrollment
430
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Haines City, FL
Bethune Academy
Federal NCES profile for Bethune Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001724
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethune Academy earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Haines City · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.6:1
- large classes for Florida
- 60.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethune Academy has class sizes larger than 87% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethune Academy ranks #1 of 4 schools in Haines City, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethune Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethune Academy
Bethune Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Haines City, Florida, enrolling 430 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.6:1 is larger than about 87% of Florida schools and 27% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 430 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 688 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #552, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Bethune Academy.
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 Bethune Academy compares
Bethune Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.6:1 | ▲ 27% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.5% | ▲ 16% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
430
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 87% in Florida - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$11,454
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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
African American 50.7%
Hispanic or Latino 34.4%
White 10.7%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: African American at 50.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Bethune Academy is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Bethune Academy.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 Bethune Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethune Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~430 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethune Academy's federal record.
- Compare Bethune Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Polk'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 Bethune Academy
How many students attend Bethune Academy?
Bethune Academy has 430 students enrolled. It is a public school in Haines City, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethune Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethune Academy is 22.6:1, which is 27% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethune Academy?
60.5% of students at Bethune Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethune Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bethune Academy is African American at 50.7% of enrollment, in Haines City, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethune Academy?
Bethune Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bethune Academy rank among schools in Haines City?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethune Academy ranks #1 of 4 schools in Haines City, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Haines City on the city page.
Is Bethune Academy a good school?
Bethune Academy earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Florida schools. 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 Polk?
Besides Bethune Academy, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk 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.