Enrollment
105
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lakeland, FL
Fresh Start Community School
Federal NCES profile for Fresh Start Community School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120159007992
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fresh Start Community School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Florida schools.
- #4 of 9
- high schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21:1
- large classes for Florida
- 54.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Fresh Start Community School has class sizes larger than 81% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fresh Start Community School ranks #4 of 9 high schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fresh Start Community School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fresh Start Community School
Fresh Start Community School is a higher-need, small high school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 105 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.5% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 105 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 65 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #29.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (29%) (diversity index 61/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Fresh Start Community 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 Fresh Start Community School compares
Fresh Start Community 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 | 21:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.5% | ▲ 5% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 105 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
105
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
21:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 81% in Florida - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$11,454
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
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 52.4%
African American 28.6%
White 17.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Two or More 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.4, Fresh Start Community School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Fresh Start Community School.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 Fresh Start Community School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fresh Start Community School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~105 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fresh Start Community School's federal record.
- Compare Fresh Start Community School against another school. Compare schools
- Polk'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 Fresh Start Community School
How many students attend Fresh Start Community School?
Fresh Start Community School has 105 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fresh Start Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fresh Start Community School is 21:1, which is 18% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 34% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fresh Start Community School?
54.5% of students at Fresh Start Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fresh Start Community School?
The largest demographic group at Fresh Start Community School is Hispanic or Latino at 52.4% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fresh Start Community School?
Fresh Start Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fresh Start Community School rank among high schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Fresh Start Community School ranks #4 of 9 high schools in Lakeland, 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 Lakeland on the city page.
Is Fresh Start Community School a good school?
Fresh Start Community School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Florida schools. 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 Polk?
Besides Fresh Start Community School, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk 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.