Enrollment
1,718
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tallahassee, FL
James Rickards High School
Federal NCES profile for James Rickards High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120111001166
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 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
James Rickards High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools.
- #6 of 6
- high schools in Tallahassee · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.8:1
- large classes for Florida
- 57.4%
- free-lunch eligible
James Rickards High School has class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Rickards High School ranks #6 of 6 high schools in Tallahassee, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Rickards High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Rickards High School
James Rickards High School is a higher-need, large high school in Tallahassee, Florida, enrolling 1,718 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.8:1 is larger than about 95% of Florida schools and 51% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.4% 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 94% of state schools at 1,718 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 313 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #309, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 573 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.1% 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 16 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Leon also operates Lawton Chiles High School (1,881 students) and Lincoln High School (1,822 students) alongside James Rickards 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 James Rickards High School compares
James Rickards 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 | 26.8:1 | ▲ 51% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.4% | ▲ 10% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,718 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.8:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,718
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
26.8:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 95% in Florida - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
54.1%
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
$10,180
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 573 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 262 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 16 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
African American 71.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
White 7.7%
Asian 6.5%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 71.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.3, James Rickards High School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Leon, which includes James Rickards High School.
$10,180
Per student
-9%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 39.3%
Federal 18.1%
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 James Rickards High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawton Chiles High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Leon High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Amos P. Godby High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William J Montford Iii Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Rickards High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,881
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,822
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,793
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,388
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~1,718 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Rickards High School's federal record.
- Compare James Rickards High School against another school. Compare schools
- Leon'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 James Rickards High School
How many students attend James Rickards High School?
James Rickards High School has 1,718 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tallahassee, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Rickards High School?
The student-teacher ratio at James Rickards High School is 26.8:1, which is 51% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 71% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Rickards High School?
57.4% of students at James Rickards High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Rickards High School?
The largest demographic group at James Rickards High School is African American at 71.0% of enrollment, in Tallahassee, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Rickards High School?
James Rickards High School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 James Rickards High School rank among high schools in Tallahassee?
By Resource Investment Index, James Rickards High School ranks #6 of 6 high schools in Tallahassee, 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 Tallahassee on the city page.
Is James Rickards High School a good school?
James Rickards High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Leon?
Besides James Rickards High School, Leon also operates Lawton Chiles High School (1,881 students), Lincoln High School (1,822 students), and Leon High School (1,793 students). See the Leon 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.