Enrollment
429
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bradenton, FL
Horizons Academy
Federal NCES profile for Horizons Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120123003610
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizons Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 33
- schools in Bradenton · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 70.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizons Academy has class sizes larger than 78% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizons Academy ranks #3 of 33 schools in Bradenton, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizons Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizons Academy
Horizons Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bradenton, Florida, enrolling 429 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 429 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.
Among 689 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #37, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 215 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 258 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 429 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students) and Parrish Community High School (2,266 students) alongside Horizons Academy.
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 Horizons Academy compares
Horizons Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.4:1 | ▲ 15% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.5% | ▲ 36% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 429 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
429
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in Florida - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$10,900
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 215 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
106
in-school suspensions + 152 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 60.1 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 47.3%
African American 27.0%
White 19.6%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.2, Horizons Academy is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manatee, which includes Horizons Academy.
$10,900
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 25.8%
Federal 15.9%
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 Horizons Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Ranch High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parrish Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmetto High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizons Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,185
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~429 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizons Academy's federal record.
- Compare Horizons Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Manatee'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 Horizons Academy
How many students attend Horizons Academy?
Horizons Academy has 429 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Bradenton, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizons Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizons Academy is 20.4:1, which is 15% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horizons Academy?
70.5% of students at Horizons Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizons Academy?
The largest demographic group at Horizons Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 47.3% of enrollment, in Bradenton, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizons Academy?
Horizons Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Horizons Academy rank among schools in Bradenton?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizons Academy ranks #3 of 33 schools in Bradenton, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bradenton on the city page.
Is Horizons Academy a good school?
Horizons Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Manatee?
Besides Horizons Academy, Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students), Parrish Community High School (2,266 students), and Palmetto High School (2,185 students). See the Manatee 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.