Enrollment
479
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakeland, FL
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering
Federal NCES profile for Combee Academy of Design and Engineering, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001709
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Florida schools.
- #21 of 38
- schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Florida
- 59.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering has class sizes smaller than 91% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Combee Academy of Design and Engineering ranks #21 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Combee Academy of Design and Engineering compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Combee Academy of Design and Engineering
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 479 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.4:1, Combee Academy of Design and Engineering is leaner than roughly 91% of Florida schools and 36% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.9% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 479 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 800 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #485.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 479 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Combee Academy of Design and Engineering.
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 Combee Academy of Design and Engineering compares
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.4:1 | ▼ 36% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.9% | ▲ 15% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 479 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
479
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 9% in Florida - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.5%
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
$11,454
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 479 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 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 45.5%
Hispanic or Latino 34.7%
African American 15.0%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Combee Academy of Design and Engineering is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Combee Academy of Design and Engineering.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 Combee Academy of Design and Engineering Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Combee Academy of Design and Engineering's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~479 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Combee Academy of Design and Engineering's federal record.
- Compare Combee Academy of Design and Engineering against another school. Compare schools
- Polk'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 Combee Academy of Design and Engineering
How many students attend Combee Academy of Design and Engineering?
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering has 479 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Combee Academy of Design and Engineering?
The student-teacher ratio at Combee Academy of Design and Engineering is 11.4:1, which is 36% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 27% lower 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 Combee Academy of Design and Engineering?
59.9% of students at Combee Academy of Design and Engineering are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Combee Academy of Design and Engineering?
The largest demographic group at Combee Academy of Design and Engineering is White at 45.5% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Combee Academy of Design and Engineering?
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering 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 Combee Academy of Design and Engineering rank among schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Combee Academy of Design and Engineering ranks #21 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lakeland on the city page.
Is Combee Academy of Design and Engineering a good school?
Combee Academy of Design and Engineering earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Polk?
Besides Combee Academy of Design and Engineering, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk 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.