Enrollment
3,178
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Pierce, FL
Fort Pierce Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Fort Pierce Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120177001933
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fort Pierce Central High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #10 of 16
- schools in Fort Pierce · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 56.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Fort Pierce Central High School has class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Pierce Central High School ranks #10 of 16 schools in Fort Pierce, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120177001933 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
116.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Pierce Central High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fort Pierce Central High School
Fort Pierce Central High School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Fort Pierce, Florida, enrolling 3,178 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.4:1 is larger than about 95% of Florida schools and 54% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.1% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 99% of state schools at 3,178 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 94 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 17.6% 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 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
St. Lucie also operates Treasure Coast High School (3,124 students) and St. Lucie West Centennial High (2,914 students) alongside Fort Pierce Central 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 Fort Pierce Central High School compares
Fort Pierce Central 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 | 27.4:1 | ▲ 54% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.1% | ▲ 8% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 3,178 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.4:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
3,178
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
27.4:1
students per teacher
- 54% above state mean
Top 95% in Florida - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$11,031
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
Counselors11.0 FTE
Per 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
420
in-school suspensions + 206 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 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 40.0%
African American 30.9%
White 23.3%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.8, Fort Pierce Central High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Lucie, which includes Fort Pierce Central High School.
$11,031
Per student
-1%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.9%
State 35.5%
Federal 17.6%
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 Fort Pierce Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treasure Coast High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| St. Lucie West Centennial High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Pierce Westwood Academy the W.E.S.T. Prep Magnet | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Port St. Lucie High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Hammock K-8 School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fort Pierce Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,124
- Students per teacher
- 28.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,914
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,956
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,793
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,727
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~3,178 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fort Pierce Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Fort Pierce Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- St. Lucie'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 Fort Pierce Central High School
How many students attend Fort Pierce Central High School?
Fort Pierce Central High School has 3,178 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Pierce, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Pierce Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Pierce Central High School is 27.4:1, which is 54% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fort Pierce Central High School?
56.1% of students at Fort Pierce Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fort Pierce Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Fort Pierce Central High School is Hispanic or Latino at 40.0% of enrollment, in Fort Pierce, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Pierce Central High School?
Fort Pierce Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Fort Pierce Central High School rank among schools in Fort Pierce?
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Pierce Central High School ranks #10 of 16 schools in Fort Pierce, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Pierce on the city page.
Is Fort Pierce Central High School a good school?
Fort Pierce Central High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 St. Lucie?
Besides Fort Pierce Central High School, St. Lucie also operates Treasure Coast High School (3,124 students), St. Lucie West Centennial High (2,914 students), and Fort Pierce Westwood Academy the W.E.S.T. Prep Magnet (1,956 students). See the St. Lucie 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.