Enrollment
1,333
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Windermere, FL
Horizon West Middle
Federal NCES profile for Horizon West Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120144008607
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon West Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Florida schools.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Windermere · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- large classes for Florida
- 23.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon West Middle has class sizes larger than 83% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon West Middle ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Windermere, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon West Middle compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon West Middle
Horizon West Middle is a large middle school in Windermere, Florida, enrolling 1,333 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.7% free-meal eligibility runs 54% below the Florida average.
Enrollment of 1,333 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 349 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #311, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (55%) and White (31%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 444 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% 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 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students) and Timber Creek High (3,383 students) alongside Horizon West Middle.
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 Horizon West Middle compares
Horizon West Middle on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.5:1 | ▲ 21% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.7% | ▼ 54% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,333 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,333
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 83% in Florida - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$11,578
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 444 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 55.0%
White 30.7%
Asian 6.9%
African American 4.5%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.6, Horizon West Middle is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange, which includes Horizon West Middle.
$11,578
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.2%
State 28.8%
Federal 18.0%
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 Horizon West Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apopka High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timber Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Winter Park High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colonial High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Windermere High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon West Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,446
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 3,383
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,277
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,239
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 3,217
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle 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 (~1,333 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon West Middle's federal record.
- Compare Horizon West Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Orange'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 Horizon West Middle
How many students attend Horizon West Middle?
Horizon West Middle has 1,333 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Windermere, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon West Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon West Middle is 21.5:1, which is 21% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horizon West Middle?
23.7% of students at Horizon West Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon West Middle?
The largest demographic group at Horizon West Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 55.0% of enrollment, in Windermere, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon West Middle?
Horizon West Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Horizon West Middle rank among public schools in Windermere?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon West Middle ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Windermere, 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 Windermere on the city page.
Is Horizon West Middle a good school?
Horizon West Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Orange?
Besides Horizon West Middle, Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students), Timber Creek High (3,383 students), and Winter Park High (3,277 students). See the Orange 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.