Enrollment
842
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dunedin, FL
Dunedin Highland Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Dunedin Highland Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120156001617
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dunedin Highland Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Dunedin · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 48.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dunedin Highland Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dunedin Highland Middle School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Dunedin, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dunedin Highland Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dunedin Highland Middle School
Dunedin Highland Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Dunedin, Florida, enrolling 842 students.
At 16.2:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.4% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 842 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 903 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #344.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 281 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 263 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 842 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pinellas also operates Palm Harbor University High (2,413 students) and Largo High School (2,058 students) alongside Dunedin Highland 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 Dunedin Highland Middle School compares
Dunedin Highland 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.4% | ▼ 7% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 842 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
842
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 47% in Florida - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
40.0%
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
$11,582
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 281 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
190
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 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
White 48.0%
Hispanic or Latino 24.1%
African American 17.8%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 3.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: White at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.5, Dunedin Highland 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 Pinellas, which includes Dunedin Highland Middle School.
$11,582
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.7%
State 25.1%
Federal 18.3%
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 Dunedin Highland Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Harbor University High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Largo High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lake High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie M. Hollins High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Petersburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dunedin Highland Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,413
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,058
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,934
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,736
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~842 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dunedin Highland Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Dunedin Highland Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Pinellas'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 Dunedin Highland Middle School
How many students attend Dunedin Highland Middle School?
Dunedin Highland Middle School has 842 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dunedin, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dunedin Highland Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dunedin Highland Middle School is 16.2:1, which is 9% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 3% 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 Dunedin Highland Middle School?
48.4% of students at Dunedin Highland Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dunedin Highland Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Dunedin Highland Middle School is White at 48.0% of enrollment, in Dunedin, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dunedin Highland Middle School?
Dunedin Highland Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Dunedin Highland Middle School rank among public schools in Dunedin?
By Resource Investment Index, Dunedin Highland Middle School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Dunedin, 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 Dunedin on the city page.
Is Dunedin Highland Middle School a good school?
Dunedin Highland Middle School earns 37/100 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 Pinellas?
Besides Dunedin Highland Middle School, Pinellas also operates Palm Harbor University High (2,413 students), Largo High School (2,058 students), and East Lake High School (1,980 students). See the Pinellas 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.