Enrollment
928
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tampa, FL
Buchanan Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Buchanan Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120087000925
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buchanan Middle School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Florida schools.
- #24 of 25
- middle schools in Tampa · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.8:1
- large classes for Florida
- 69.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Buchanan Middle School has class sizes larger than 93% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Middle School ranks #24 of 25 middle schools in Tampa, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buchanan Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buchanan Middle School
Buchanan Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Tampa, Florida, enrolling 928 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.8:1 is larger than about 93% of Florida schools and 45% 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 69.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 928 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 751 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #728, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 464 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 245 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 928 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 15 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Buchanan 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 Buchanan Middle School compares
Buchanan 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 | 25.8:1 | ▲ 45% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.0% | ▲ 33% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 928 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.8:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
928
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
25.8:1
students per teacher
- 45% above state mean
Top 93% in Florida - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
46.1%
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
$9,835
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 464 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
130
in-school suspensions + 115 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 15 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
Hispanic or Latino 61.5%
African American 23.9%
White 9.3%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.4, Buchanan 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 Hillsborough, which includes Buchanan Middle School.
$9,835
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 16.1%
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 Buchanan Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Connections Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jule F Sumner High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buchanan Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,748
- Students per teacher
- 40.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,602
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,157
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,863
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,572
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~928 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buchanan Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Buchanan Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsborough'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 Buchanan Middle School
How many students attend Buchanan Middle School?
Buchanan Middle School has 928 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tampa, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Buchanan Middle School is 25.8:1, which is 45% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buchanan Middle School?
69.0% of students at Buchanan Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buchanan Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Buchanan Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 61.5% of enrollment, in Tampa, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buchanan Middle School?
Buchanan Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (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 Buchanan Middle School rank among middle schools in Tampa?
By Resource Investment Index, Buchanan Middle School ranks #24 of 25 middle schools in Tampa, 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 Tampa on the city page.
Is Buchanan Middle School a good school?
Buchanan Middle School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Buchanan Middle School, Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students), Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students), and Newsome High School (3,157 students). See the Hillsborough 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.