Enrollment
1,705
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bradenton, FL
Braden River High School
Federal NCES profile for Braden River High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120123005608
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Braden River High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 5
- high schools in Bradenton · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.6:1
- large classes for Florida
- 37.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Braden River High School has class sizes larger than 83% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Braden River High School ranks #2 of 5 high schools in Bradenton, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Braden River High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Braden River High School
Braden River High School is a large high school in Bradenton, Florida, enrolling 1,705 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,705 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 336 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #224.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 490 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,705 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students) and Parrish Community High School (2,266 students) alongside Braden River High School.
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 Braden River High School compares
Braden River High School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.6:1 | ▲ 21% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.9% | ▼ 27% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,705 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,705
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 83% in Florida - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.4%
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
$10,900
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
333
in-school suspensions + 157 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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
White 47.5%
Hispanic or Latino 33.2%
African American 9.4%
Asian 5.2%
Two or More 4.7%
Largest group: White at 47.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Braden River High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manatee, which includes Braden River High School.
$10,900
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 25.8%
Federal 15.9%
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 Braden River High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Ranch High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parrish Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmetto High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Braden River High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,185
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar high 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 (~1,705 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Braden River High School's federal record.
- Compare Braden River High School against another school. Compare schools
- Manatee'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 Braden River High School
How many students attend Braden River High School?
Braden River High School has 1,705 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bradenton, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Braden River High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Braden River High School is 21.6:1, which is 21% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Braden River High School?
37.9% of students at Braden River High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Braden River High School?
The largest demographic group at Braden River High School is White at 47.5% of enrollment, in Bradenton, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Braden River High School?
Braden River High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Braden River High School rank among high schools in Bradenton?
By Resource Investment Index, Braden River High School ranks #2 of 5 high schools in Bradenton, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bradenton on the city page.
Is Braden River High School a good school?
Braden River High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Manatee?
Besides Braden River High School, Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students), Parrish Community High School (2,266 students), and Palmetto High School (2,185 students). See the Manatee 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.