Enrollment
1,935
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Miami, FL
Felix Varela Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Felix Varela Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120039004340
👥 S:T ratio 7
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Felix Varela Senior High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #35 of 37
- high schools in Miami · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.3:1
- large classes for Florida
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Felix Varela Senior High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Felix Varela Senior High School ranks #35 of 37 high schools in Miami, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
83.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Felix Varela Senior High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Felix Varela Senior High School
Felix Varela Senior High School is a large high school in Miami, Florida, enrolling 1,935 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.3:1 is larger than about 88% of Florida schools and 31% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,935 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 274 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #266, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 484 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% 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 32 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students) and Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students) alongside Felix Varela Senior 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 Felix Varela Senior High School compares
Felix Varela Senior 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 | 23.3:1 | ▲ 31% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▼ 16% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,935 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.3:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,935
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
23.3:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 88% in Florida - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
44.9%
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
$12,258
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 484 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 32 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 91.9%
White 4.1%
African American 2.6%
Asian 1.0%
Two or More 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.3, Felix Varela Senior High School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes Felix Varela Senior High School.
$12,258
Per student
+10%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 23.3%
Federal 19.5%
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 Felix Varela Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Felix Varela Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,291
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,399
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3,382
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,100
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,009
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- 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 (~1,935 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Felix Varela Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Felix Varela Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Miami-Dade'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 Felix Varela Senior High School
How many students attend Felix Varela Senior High School?
Felix Varela Senior High School has 1,935 students enrolled. It is a high school in Miami, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Felix Varela Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Felix Varela Senior High School is 23.3:1, which is 31% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 48% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Felix Varela Senior High School?
43.8% of students at Felix Varela Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Felix Varela Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Felix Varela Senior High School is Hispanic or Latino at 91.9% of enrollment, in Miami, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Felix Varela Senior High School?
Felix Varela Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Felix Varela Senior High School rank among high schools in Miami?
By Resource Investment Index, Felix Varela Senior High School ranks #35 of 37 high schools in Miami, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Miami on the city page.
Is Felix Varela Senior High School a good school?
Felix Varela Senior High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida. 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 Miami-Dade?
Besides Felix Varela Senior High School, Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students), Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students), and South Dade Senior High School (3,382 students). See the Miami-Dade 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.