Enrollment
797
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bradenton, FL
Braden River Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Braden River Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120123002838
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Braden River Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #6 of 8
- middle schools in Bradenton · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 50.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Braden River Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Braden River Middle School ranks #6 of 8 middle schools in Bradenton, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Braden River Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Braden River Middle School
Braden River Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Bradenton, Florida, enrolling 797 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.6% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 797 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 944 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #734, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 399 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.3% 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: 376 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 797 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion 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 Middle 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 Middle School compares
Braden River Middle 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.6% | ▼ 3% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 797 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
797
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 64% in Florida - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
58.3%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 399 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
211
in-school suspensions + 165 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 26.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 42.3%
Hispanic or Latino 35.4%
African American 14.2%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 42.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.2, Braden River Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manatee, which includes Braden River Middle 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 Middle 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 | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Braden River Middle 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 middle 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 (~797 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Braden River Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Braden River Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Braden River Middle School?
Braden River Middle School has 797 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bradenton, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Braden River Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Braden River Middle School is 18.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Braden River Middle School?
50.6% of students at Braden River Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Braden River Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Braden River Middle School is White at 42.3% of enrollment, in Bradenton, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Braden River Middle School?
Braden River Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Braden River Middle School rank among middle schools in Bradenton?
By Resource Investment Index, Braden River Middle School ranks #6 of 8 middle 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 middle schools in Bradenton on the city page.
Is Braden River Middle School a good school?
Braden River Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Middle 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.