Enrollment
437
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tampa, FL
Ferrell Middle Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Ferrell Middle Magnet 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 120087007782
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferrell Middle Magnet School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #11 of 25
- middle schools in Tampa · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 60.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferrell Middle Magnet School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferrell Middle Magnet School ranks #11 of 25 middle schools in Tampa, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferrell Middle Magnet School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferrell Middle Magnet School
Ferrell Middle Magnet School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Tampa, Florida, enrolling 437 students.
At 16.8:1, 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 60.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 437 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 696 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #297.
Its student body is led by African American (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 437 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% 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.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Ferrell 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 Ferrell Middle Magnet School compares
Ferrell 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 | 16.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.8% | ▲ 17% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 437 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
437
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 53% in Florida - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.0%
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
$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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 437 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
46
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
African American 39.6%
Hispanic or Latino 33.4%
White 16.9%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 39.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Ferrell 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 Ferrell 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 Ferrell 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ferrell 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 (~437 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferrell Middle Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Ferrell 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 Ferrell Middle Magnet School
How many students attend Ferrell Middle Magnet School?
Ferrell Middle Magnet School has 437 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tampa, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferrell Middle Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferrell Middle Magnet School is 16.8:1, which is 6% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 7% 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 Ferrell Middle Magnet School?
60.8% of students at Ferrell Middle Magnet School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferrell Middle Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Ferrell Middle Magnet School is African American at 39.6% of enrollment, in Tampa, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferrell Middle Magnet School?
Ferrell Middle Magnet 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 Ferrell Middle Magnet School rank among middle schools in Tampa?
By Resource Investment Index, Ferrell Middle Magnet School ranks #11 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 Ferrell Middle Magnet School a good school?
Ferrell Middle Magnet 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Ferrell 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.