Enrollment
1,185
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Orlando, FL
Howard Middle
Federal NCES profile for Howard Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120144001365
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Florida schools.
- #11 of 30
- middle schools in Orlando · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 28.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard Middle has class sizes larger than 90% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Middle ranks #11 of 30 middle schools in Orlando, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard Middle compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard Middle
Howard Middle is a large middle school in Orlando, Florida, enrolling 1,185 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.7:1 is larger than about 90% of Florida schools and 33% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,185 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 471 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #335, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 395 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students) and Timber Creek High (3,383 students) alongside Howard 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 Howard Middle compares
Howard 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 | 23.7:1 | ▲ 33% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.3% | ▼ 46% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,185 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,185
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 90% in Florida - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
24.4%
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 395 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 39.9%
Hispanic or Latino 29.4%
African American 23.2%
Two or More 4.7%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 39.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Howard 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 Howard 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 Howard Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apopka High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timber Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Winter Park High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colonial High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Windermere High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard 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 (~1,185 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard Middle's federal record.
- Compare Howard 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 Howard Middle
How many students attend Howard Middle?
Howard Middle has 1,185 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Orlando, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard Middle is 23.7:1, which is 33% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard Middle?
28.3% of students at Howard Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard Middle?
The largest demographic group at Howard Middle is White at 39.9% of enrollment, in Orlando, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard Middle?
Howard Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Howard Middle rank among middle schools in Orlando?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Middle ranks #11 of 30 middle schools in Orlando, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Orlando on the city page.
Is Howard Middle a good school?
Howard Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Howard 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.