Enrollment
955
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Orlando, FL
Chain of Lakes Middle
Federal NCES profile for Chain of Lakes Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120144003630
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chain of Lakes Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Florida schools.
- #17 of 30
- middle schools in Orlando · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Florida
- 43.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Chain of Lakes Middle has class sizes larger than 74% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chain of Lakes Middle ranks #17 of 30 middle schools in Orlando, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chain of Lakes Middle compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chain of Lakes Middle
Chain of Lakes Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Orlando, Florida, enrolling 955 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 955 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.
Against 765 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #534.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and African American (41%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 333 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 955 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 24 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students) and Timber Creek High (3,383 students) alongside Chain of Lakes Middle.
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 Chain of Lakes Middle compares
Chain of Lakes Middle on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.6% | ▼ 16% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 955 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
955
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Florida - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.7%
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
$11,578
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
166
in-school suspensions + 167 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 24 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 41.3%
African American 41.2%
White 13.1%
Asian 2.6%
Two or More 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.2, Chain of Lakes Middle is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange, which includes Chain of Lakes Middle.
$11,578
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.2%
State 28.8%
Federal 18.0%
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 Chain of Lakes Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apopka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timber Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Winter Park High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colonial High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Windermere High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chain of Lakes Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,446
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 3,383
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,277
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,239
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 3,217
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~955 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chain of Lakes Middle's federal record.
- Compare Chain of Lakes Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Orange'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 Chain of Lakes Middle
How many students attend Chain of Lakes Middle?
Chain of Lakes Middle has 955 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Orlando, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chain of Lakes Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Chain of Lakes Middle is 19.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chain of Lakes Middle?
43.6% of students at Chain of Lakes Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chain of Lakes Middle?
The largest demographic group at Chain of Lakes Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 41.3% of enrollment, in Orlando, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chain of Lakes Middle?
Chain of Lakes Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Chain of Lakes Middle rank among middle schools in Orlando?
By Resource Investment Index, Chain of Lakes Middle ranks #17 of 30 middle schools in Orlando, 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 Orlando on the city page.
Is Chain of Lakes Middle a good school?
Chain of Lakes Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Orange?
Besides Chain of Lakes Middle, Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students), Timber Creek High (3,383 students), and Winter Park High (3,277 students). See the Orange 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.