Enrollment
1,477
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cape Coral, FL
Island Coast High School
Federal NCES profile for Island Coast High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120108007353
👥 S:T ratio 13
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Island Coast High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 6
- high schools in Cape Coral · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 52.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Island Coast High School has class sizes larger than 84% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Island Coast High School ranks #2 of 6 high schools in Cape Coral, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Island Coast High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Island Coast High School
Island Coast High School is a higher-need, large high school in Cape Coral, Florida, enrolling 1,477 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.6% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,477 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 456 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #337, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (30%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% 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 20 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students) and Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students) alongside Island Coast 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 Island Coast High School compares
Island Coast 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 | 21.7:1 | ▲ 22% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.6% | ▲ 1% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,477 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,477
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 84% in Florida - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
60.7%
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
$10,788
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
108
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 20 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 53.8%
White 29.8%
African American 11.0%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.8, Island Coast High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee, which includes Island Coast High School.
$10,788
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 25.0%
Federal 17.0%
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 Island Coast High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Charter Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lehigh Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ida S. Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lee County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Island Coast High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,192
- Students per teacher
- 51.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,550
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 31.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,191
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,129
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
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 (~1,477 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Island Coast High School's federal record.
- Compare Island Coast High School against another school. Compare schools
- Lee'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 Island Coast High School
How many students attend Island Coast High School?
Island Coast High School has 1,477 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cape Coral, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Island Coast High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Island Coast High School is 21.7:1, which is 22% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Island Coast High School?
52.6% of students at Island Coast High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Island Coast High School?
The largest demographic group at Island Coast High School is Hispanic or Latino at 53.8% of enrollment, in Cape Coral, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Island Coast High School?
Island Coast High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Island Coast High School rank among high schools in Cape Coral?
By Resource Investment Index, Island Coast High School ranks #2 of 6 high schools in Cape Coral, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Cape Coral on the city page.
Is Island Coast High School a good school?
Island Coast High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Lee?
Besides Island Coast High School, Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students), Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students), and Gateway High School (2,343 students). See the Lee 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.