Enrollment
218
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Pierce, FL
Dale Cassens Education Complex
Federal NCES profile for Dale Cassens Education Complex, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 77/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120177004149
👥 S:T ratio 71
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dale Cassens Education Complex earns 77/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 16
- schools in Fort Pierce · Resource Index
- 77
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.3:1
- small classes for Florida
- 79.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Dale Cassens Education Complex has class sizes smaller than 96% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dale Cassens Education Complex ranks #1 of 16 schools in Fort Pierce, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120177004149 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-59% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dale Cassens Education Complex compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dale Cassens Education Complex
Dale Cassens Education Complex is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Pierce, Florida, enrolling 218 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.3:1, Dale Cassens Education Complex is leaner than roughly 96% of Florida schools and 59% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 79.0% of students qualify for free meals, 52% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 218 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 162 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 55 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 126 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 218 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
St. Lucie also operates Fort Pierce Central High School (3,178 students) and Treasure Coast High School (3,124 students) alongside Dale Cassens Education Complex.
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 Dale Cassens Education Complex compares
Dale Cassens Education Complex on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.3:1 | ▼ 59% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.0% | ▲ 52% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 218 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.3:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
218
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.3:1
students per teacher
- 59% below state mean
Top 4% in Florida - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$11,031
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 55 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 123 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 57.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
African American 57.3%
Hispanic or Latino 24.8%
White 15.6%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 57.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.6, Dale Cassens Education Complex is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Lucie, which includes Dale Cassens Education Complex.
$11,031
Per student
-1%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.9%
State 35.5%
Federal 17.6%
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 Dale Cassens Education Complex Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Pierce Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Treasure Coast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Lucie West Centennial High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Pierce Westwood Academy the W.E.S.T. Prep Magnet | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Port St. Lucie High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dale Cassens Education Complex's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,178
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3,124
- Students per teacher
- 28.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,914
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,956
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,793
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~218 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dale Cassens Education Complex's federal record.
- Compare Dale Cassens Education Complex against another school. Compare schools
- St. Lucie'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 Dale Cassens Education Complex
How many students attend Dale Cassens Education Complex?
Dale Cassens Education Complex has 218 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Fort Pierce, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dale Cassens Education Complex?
The student-teacher ratio at Dale Cassens Education Complex is 7.3:1, which is 59% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 54% 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 Dale Cassens Education Complex?
79.0% of students at Dale Cassens Education Complex are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dale Cassens Education Complex?
The largest demographic group at Dale Cassens Education Complex is African American at 57.3% of enrollment, in Fort Pierce, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dale Cassens Education Complex?
Dale Cassens Education Complex has a Resource Investment Index of 77/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dale Cassens Education Complex rank among schools in Fort Pierce?
By Resource Investment Index, Dale Cassens Education Complex ranks #1 of 16 schools in Fort Pierce, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Pierce on the city page.
Is Dale Cassens Education Complex a good school?
Dale Cassens Education Complex earns 77/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 St. Lucie?
Besides Dale Cassens Education Complex, St. Lucie also operates Fort Pierce Central High School (3,178 students), Treasure Coast High School (3,124 students), and St. Lucie West Centennial High (2,914 students). See the St. Lucie 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.