Enrollment
1,347
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wauchula, FL
Hardee Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Hardee Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120075000877
👥 S:T ratio 21
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hardee Senior High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Florida schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Wauchula · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Florida
- 60.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hardee Senior High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hardee Senior High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Wauchula, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hardee Senior High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hardee Senior High School
Hardee Senior High School is a higher-need, large high school in Wauchula, Florida, enrolling 1,347 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,347 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 482 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #389, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (26%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 449 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.8% 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 123 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Hardee also operates Hardee Junior High School (958 students) and Wauchula Elementary School (577 students) alongside Hardee 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 Hardee Senior High School compares
Hardee 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.9% | ▲ 17% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,347 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,347
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.9%
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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Florida - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.7%
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
$10,936
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 449 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 123 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 66.3%
White 26.3%
African American 4.8%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, Hardee Senior High School is less 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 Hardee, which includes Hardee Senior High School.
$10,936
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 50.7%
Federal 25.8%
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 Hardee Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wauchula Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Wauchula Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Zolfo Springs Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hilltop Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hardee Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 958
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 298
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~1,347 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hardee Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Hardee Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Hardee'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 Hardee Senior High School
How many students attend Hardee Senior High School?
Hardee Senior High School has 1,347 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wauchula, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hardee Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hardee Senior High School is 19.8:1, which is 11% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hardee Senior High School?
60.9% of students at Hardee Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hardee Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Hardee Senior High School is Hispanic or Latino at 66.3% of enrollment, in Wauchula, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hardee Senior High School?
Hardee Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Hardee Senior High School rank among public schools in Wauchula?
By Resource Investment Index, Hardee Senior High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Wauchula, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wauchula on the city page.
Is Hardee Senior High School a good school?
Hardee Senior High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Hardee?
Besides Hardee Senior High School, Hardee also operates Hardee Junior High School (958 students), Wauchula Elementary School (577 students), and North Wauchula Elementary School (516 students). See the Hardee 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.