Enrollment
5,748
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tampa, FL
Florida Connections Academy
Federal NCES profile for Florida Connections Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120087008666Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Florida Connections Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #97 of 101
- schools in Tampa · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 40.5:1
- large classes for Florida
- 37.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Florida Connections Academy has class sizes larger than 98% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Florida Connections Academy ranks #97 of 101 schools in Tampa, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
142.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
40.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+128% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Florida Connections Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Florida Connections Academy
Florida Connections Academy is a large charter combined-grade school in Tampa, Florida, enrolling 5,748 students.
Class loads run heavy: 40.5:1 is larger than about 98% of Florida schools and 128% 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 37.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 99% of state schools at 5,748 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 575 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Its district draws 16.1% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Hillsborough also operates Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) and Newsome High School (3,157 students) alongside Florida Connections Academy.
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 Florida Connections Academy compares
Florida Connections Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 40.5:1 | ▲ 128% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.6% | ▼ 28% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 5,748 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
40.5:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
5,748
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
40.5:1
students per teacher
- 128% above state mean
Top 98% in Florida - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
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
Counselors10.0 FTE
Per 575 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 41.8%
Hispanic or Latino 31.5%
African American 17.6%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Florida Connections Academy is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsborough, which includes Florida Connections Academy.
$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 Florida Connections Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jule F Sumner High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lennard High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Florida Connections Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- 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
- Enrollment
- 2,553
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar other 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 (~5,748 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~40.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Florida Connections Academy's federal record.
- Compare Florida Connections Academy 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 Florida Connections Academy
How many students attend Florida Connections Academy?
Florida Connections Academy has 5,748 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tampa, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Florida Connections Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Florida Connections Academy is 40.5:1, which is 128% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 158% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Florida Connections Academy?
37.6% of students at Florida Connections Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Florida Connections Academy?
The largest demographic group at Florida Connections Academy is White at 41.8% of enrollment, in Tampa, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Florida Connections Academy?
Florida Connections Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Florida Connections Academy rank among schools in Tampa?
By Resource Investment Index, Florida Connections Academy ranks #97 of 101 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 schools in Tampa on the city page.
Is Florida Connections Academy a good school?
Florida Connections Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Florida Connections Academy, Hillsborough also operates Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students), Newsome High School (3,157 students), and Alonso High School (2,863 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.