Enrollment
770
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Oakland Park, FL
James S. Rickards Middle School
Federal NCES profile for James S. Rickards Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120018002802
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James S. Rickards Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Oakland Park · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- students per teacher
- 72.6%
- free-lunch eligible
James S. Rickards Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James S. Rickards Middle School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Oakland Park, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James S. Rickards Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at James S. Rickards Middle School
James S. Rickards Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Oakland Park, Florida, enrolling 770 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 770 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.
Against 864 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #211.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 191 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 770 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students) and Western High School (3,510 students) alongside James S. Rickards Middle 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 S. Rickards Middle School compares
James S. Rickards Middle 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.6% | ▲ 40% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 770 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
770
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 63% in Florida - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.5%
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
$11,419
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 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
134
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.8 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 60.1%
African American 25.5%
White 9.9%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.3, James S. Rickards Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Broward, which includes James S. Rickards Middle School.
$11,419
Per student
+2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.6%
State 31.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 S. Rickards Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Bay High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Glades High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Broward High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James S. Rickards Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,579
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 3,510
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,843
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,492
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~770 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James S. Rickards Middle School's federal record.
- Compare James S. Rickards Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Broward'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 S. Rickards Middle School
How many students attend James S. Rickards Middle School?
James S. Rickards Middle School has 770 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Oakland Park, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James S. Rickards Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at James S. Rickards Middle School is 17.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James S. Rickards Middle School?
72.6% of students at James S. Rickards Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James S. Rickards Middle School?
The largest demographic group at James S. Rickards Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 60.1% of enrollment, in Oakland Park, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James S. Rickards Middle School?
James S. Rickards Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 James S. Rickards Middle School rank among public schools in Oakland Park?
By Resource Investment Index, James S. Rickards Middle School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Oakland Park, 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 Oakland Park on the city page.
Is James S. Rickards Middle School a good school?
James S. Rickards Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Broward?
Besides James S. Rickards Middle School, Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students), Western High School (3,510 students), and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (3,089 students). See the Broward 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.