Enrollment
669
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sebring, FL
Hill-Gustat Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Hill-Gustat Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120084003069
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hill-Gustat Middle School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #10 of 10
- schools in Sebring · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 55.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hill-Gustat Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hill-Gustat Middle School ranks #10 of 10 schools in Sebring, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hill-Gustat Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hill-Gustat Middle School
Hill-Gustat Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sebring, Florida, enrolling 669 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.9% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 669 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,010 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #938, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 669 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 332 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 669 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Highlands also operates Sebring High School (1,849 students) and Avon Park High School (980 students) alongside Hill-Gustat Middle 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 Hill-Gustat Middle School compares
Hill-Gustat Middle 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.9% | ▲ 7% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 669 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
669
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 68% in Florida - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.2%
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
$11,874
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 669 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
194
in-school suspensions + 138 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 29.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 49.6 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
White 37.1%
Hispanic or Latino 35.3%
African American 18.5%
Asian 5.4%
Two or More 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 37.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.9, Hill-Gustat Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highlands, which includes Hill-Gustat Middle School.
$11,874
Per student
+6%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.5%
State 39.8%
Federal 29.7%
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 Hill-Gustat Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebring High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Avon Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sebring Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodlawn Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake Placid High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hill-Gustat Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,849
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 980
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 834
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~669 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hill-Gustat Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Hill-Gustat Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Highlands'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 Hill-Gustat Middle School
How many students attend Hill-Gustat Middle School?
Hill-Gustat Middle School has 669 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sebring, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hill-Gustat Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hill-Gustat Middle School is 18.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hill-Gustat Middle School?
55.9% of students at Hill-Gustat Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hill-Gustat Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Hill-Gustat Middle School is White at 37.1% of enrollment, in Sebring, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hill-Gustat Middle School?
Hill-Gustat Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Hill-Gustat Middle School rank among schools in Sebring?
By Resource Investment Index, Hill-Gustat Middle School ranks #10 of 10 schools in Sebring, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sebring on the city page.
Is Hill-Gustat Middle School a good school?
Hill-Gustat Middle School earns 24/100 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 Highlands?
Besides Hill-Gustat Middle School, Highlands also operates Sebring High School (1,849 students), Avon Park High School (980 students), and Sebring Middle School (840 students). See the Highlands 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.