Enrollment
492
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Coconut Creek, FL
Dave Thomas Education Center West
Federal NCES profile for Dave Thomas Education Center West, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120018003543
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dave Thomas Education Center West earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Coconut Creek · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 78.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Dave Thomas Education Center West has class sizes larger than 75% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dave Thomas Education Center West ranks #2 of 5 schools in Coconut Creek, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120018003543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dave Thomas Education Center West compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dave Thomas Education Center West
Dave Thomas Education Center West is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Coconut Creek, Florida, enrolling 492 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 78.5% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 492 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 652 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 123 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 103 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 492 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students) and Western High School (3,510 students) alongside Dave Thomas Education Center West.
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 Dave Thomas Education Center West compares
Dave Thomas Education Center West on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.7:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.5% | ▲ 51% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 492 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
492
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Florida - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,419
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 123 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.9 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
African American 66.3%
Hispanic or Latino 26.6%
White 4.5%
Two or More 2.0%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 66.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.7, Dave Thomas Education Center West is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Broward, which includes Dave Thomas Education Center West.
$11,419
Per student
+2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.6%
State 31.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 Dave Thomas Education Center West Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Bay High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Glades High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Broward High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dave Thomas Education Center West's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,579
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 3,510
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,843
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,492
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~492 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dave Thomas Education Center West's federal record.
- Compare Dave Thomas Education Center West against another school. Compare schools
- Broward'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 Dave Thomas Education Center West
How many students attend Dave Thomas Education Center West?
Dave Thomas Education Center West has 492 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Coconut Creek, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dave Thomas Education Center West?
The student-teacher ratio at Dave Thomas Education Center West is 19.7:1, which is 11% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dave Thomas Education Center West?
78.5% of students at Dave Thomas Education Center West are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dave Thomas Education Center West?
The largest demographic group at Dave Thomas Education Center West is African American at 66.3% of enrollment, in Coconut Creek, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dave Thomas Education Center West?
Dave Thomas Education Center West has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Dave Thomas Education Center West rank among schools in Coconut Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Dave Thomas Education Center West ranks #2 of 5 schools in Coconut Creek, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Coconut Creek on the city page.
Is Dave Thomas Education Center West a good school?
Dave Thomas Education Center West earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Broward?
Besides Dave Thomas Education Center West, Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students), Western High School (3,510 students), and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (3,089 students). See the Broward 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.