Enrollment
732
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Milton, FL
Central School
Federal NCES profile for Central School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120165001813
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #4 of 12
- schools in Milton · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 46.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Central School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #4 of 12 schools in Milton, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central School
Central School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Milton, Florida, enrolling 732 students.
At 15.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 732 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 876 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #224.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Santa Rosa also operates Navarre High School (2,410 students) and Pace High School (2,316 students) alongside Central 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 Central School compares
Central 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.8% | ▼ 10% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 732 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
732
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 43% in Florida - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.4%
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
$9,674
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 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
79
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.3 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
White 86.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 86.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.4, Central School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Rosa, which includes Central School.
$9,674
Per student
-13%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.1%
State 50.9%
Federal 17.0%
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 Central School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navarre High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pace High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Milton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gulf Breeze High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Bay K-8 School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,410
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,316
- Students per teacher
- 26:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,985
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,946
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,100
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~732 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central School's federal record.
- Compare Central School against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Rosa'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 Central School
How many students attend Central School?
Central School has 732 students enrolled. It is a public school in Milton, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central School is 15.9:1, which is 11% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 1% higher 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 Central School?
46.8% of students at Central School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central School?
The largest demographic group at Central School is White at 86.6% of enrollment, in Milton, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central School?
Central School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Central School rank among schools in Milton?
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #4 of 12 schools in Milton, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Milton on the city page.
Is Central School a good school?
Central School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Santa Rosa?
Besides Central School, Santa Rosa also operates Navarre High School (2,410 students), Pace High School (2,316 students), and Milton High School (1,985 students). See the Santa Rosa 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.