Enrollment
657
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tampa, FL
Dowdell Middle Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Dowdell Middle Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120087000934
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dowdell Middle Magnet School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Florida schools.
- #18 of 25
- middle schools in Tampa · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.3:1
- large classes for Florida
- 73.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dowdell Middle Magnet School has class sizes larger than 93% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dowdell Middle Magnet School ranks #18 of 25 middle schools in Tampa, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dowdell Middle Magnet School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dowdell Middle Magnet School
Dowdell Middle Magnet School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Tampa, Florida, enrolling 657 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Florida schools and 42% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 657 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.
Among 884 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #715, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 329 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 256 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 657 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Dowdell Middle Magnet 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 Dowdell Middle Magnet School compares
Dowdell Middle Magnet 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 | 25.3:1 | ▲ 42% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.4% | ▲ 41% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 657 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
657
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 42% above state mean
Top 93% in Florida - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
54.9%
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
$9,835
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 329 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
128
in-school suspensions + 128 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 39.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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 57.5%
African American 24.2%
White 13.9%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.0, Dowdell Middle Magnet School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsborough, which includes Dowdell Middle Magnet School.
$9,835
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 16.1%
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 Dowdell Middle Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Connections Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jule F Sumner High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dowdell Middle Magnet School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,748
- Students per teacher
- 40.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,602
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,157
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,863
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,572
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~657 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dowdell Middle Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Dowdell Middle Magnet School against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsborough'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 Dowdell Middle Magnet School
How many students attend Dowdell Middle Magnet School?
Dowdell Middle Magnet School has 657 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tampa, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dowdell Middle Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dowdell Middle Magnet School is 25.3:1, which is 42% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dowdell Middle Magnet School?
73.4% of students at Dowdell Middle Magnet School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dowdell Middle Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Dowdell Middle Magnet School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.5% of enrollment, in Tampa, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dowdell Middle Magnet School?
Dowdell Middle Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Dowdell Middle Magnet School rank among middle schools in Tampa?
By Resource Investment Index, Dowdell Middle Magnet School ranks #18 of 25 middle schools in Tampa, 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 Tampa on the city page.
Is Dowdell Middle Magnet School a good school?
Dowdell Middle Magnet School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Dowdell Middle Magnet School, Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students), Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students), and Newsome High School (3,157 students). See the Hillsborough 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.