Enrollment
1,215
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Arcadia, FL
Desoto County High School
Federal NCES profile for Desoto County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120042000620
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desoto County High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #2 of 8
- public schools in Arcadia · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 63.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Desoto County High School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto County High School ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Arcadia, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
70.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desoto County High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desoto County High School
Desoto County High School is a higher-need, large high school in Arcadia, Florida, enrolling 1,215 students.
At 17.4:1, 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 63.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,215 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 564 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #293.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (33%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 405 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.1% 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 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Desoto also operates Desoto Middle School (922 students) and Memorial Elementary School (861 students) alongside Desoto County High 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 Desoto County High School compares
Desoto County High 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 | 17.4:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.0% | ▲ 21% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,215 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,215
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 59% in Florida - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.4%
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
$12,175
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 405 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 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 51.9%
White 32.7%
African American 11.9%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, Desoto County High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto, which includes Desoto County High School.
$12,175
Per student
+9%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 47.5%
Federal 28.1%
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 Desoto County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Memorial Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nocatee Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Desoto Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desoto County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 922
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 53
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar high 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 (~1,215 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desoto County High School's federal record.
- Compare Desoto County High School against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto'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 Desoto County High School
How many students attend Desoto County High School?
Desoto County High School has 1,215 students enrolled. It is a high school in Arcadia, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desoto County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Desoto County High School is 17.4:1, 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 Desoto County High School?
63.0% of students at Desoto County High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desoto County High School?
The largest demographic group at Desoto County High School is Hispanic or Latino at 51.9% of enrollment, in Arcadia, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desoto County High School?
Desoto County High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desoto County High School rank among public schools in Arcadia?
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto County High School ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Arcadia, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Arcadia on the city page.
Is Desoto County High School a good school?
Desoto County High School earns 31/100 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 Desoto?
Besides Desoto County High School, Desoto also operates Desoto Middle School (922 students), Memorial Elementary School (861 students), and West Elementary School (622 students). See the Desoto 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.