Enrollment
684
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Winter Haven, FL
Denison Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Denison Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120159001727
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Denison Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Winter Haven · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 69.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Denison Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Denison Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Winter Haven, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Denison Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Denison Middle School
Denison Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Winter Haven, Florida, enrolling 684 students.
At 17.5:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 69.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 684 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 988 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #839, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and African American (39%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 684 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.1% 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.
Discipline events run high: 376 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 684 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions 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 Denison Middle 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 Denison Middle School compares
Denison Middle 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 | 17.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.0% | ▲ 33% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 684 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
684
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 60% in Florida - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
61.1%
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 684 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
78
in-school suspensions + 298 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 55.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 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 39.5%
African American 38.7%
White 18.7%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.9, Denison Middle School 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 Denison Middle School.
$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 Denison Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Lower 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 Denison Middle School'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 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 (~684 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Denison Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Denison Middle School 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 Denison Middle School
How many students attend Denison Middle School?
Denison Middle School has 684 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Winter Haven, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Denison Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Denison Middle School is 17.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 11% 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 Denison Middle School?
69.0% of students at Denison Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Denison Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Denison Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 39.5% of enrollment, in Winter Haven, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Denison Middle School?
Denison Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Denison Middle School rank among middle schools in Winter Haven?
By Resource Investment Index, Denison Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Winter Haven, 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 Winter Haven on the city page.
Is Denison Middle School a good school?
Denison Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Denison Middle School, 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.