Enrollment
6
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sanford, FL
John Polk Alternative School
Federal NCES profile for John Polk Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120171003668
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Polk Alternative School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in Florida.
- #12 of 16
- schools in Sanford · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 33.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 6
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, John Polk Alternative School ranks #12 of 16 schools in Sanford, FL.
School address
Free-lunch eligible
33.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-36% vs state
What stands out at John Polk Alternative School
John Polk Alternative School is a small combined-grade school in Sanford, Florida, enrolling 6 students.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of Florida schools, with 6 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Its student body is predominantly African American (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Seminole also operates Seminole High School (3,807 students) and Lake Brantley High School (2,813 students) alongside John Polk Alternative 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 John Polk Alternative School compares
John Polk Alternative School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.3% | ▼ 36% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 6 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6
Bigger than 1% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Funding equity
$9,352
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 83.3%
Two or More 16.7%
Largest group: African American at 83.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.8, John Polk Alternative School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seminole, which includes John Polk Alternative School.
$9,352
Per student
-16%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.4%
State 41.8%
Federal 14.8%
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 John Polk Alternative School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminole High School | Larger | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| Lake Brantley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Lake Mary High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Hagerty High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Oviedo High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to John Polk Alternative School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,807
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,813
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 2,714
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,312
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Polk Alternative School's federal record.
- Compare John Polk Alternative School against another school. Compare schools
- Seminole'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 John Polk Alternative School
How many students attend John Polk Alternative School?
John Polk Alternative School has 6 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Sanford, FL.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John Polk Alternative School?
33.3% of students at John Polk Alternative School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Polk Alternative School?
The largest demographic group at John Polk Alternative School is African American at 83.3% of enrollment, in Sanford, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Polk Alternative School?
John Polk Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does John Polk Alternative School rank among schools in Sanford?
By Resource Investment Index, John Polk Alternative School ranks #12 of 16 schools in Sanford, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sanford on the city page.
Is John Polk Alternative School a good school?
John Polk Alternative School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in Florida. 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 Seminole?
Besides John Polk Alternative School, Seminole also operates Seminole High School (3,807 students), Lake Brantley High School (2,813 students), and Lake Mary High School (2,714 students). See the Seminole 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.