Enrollment
859
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Palm Harbor, FL
Joseph L. Carwise Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Joseph L. Carwise Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120156001978
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joseph L. Carwise Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #10 of 11
- public schools in Palm Harbor · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 33.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Joseph L. Carwise Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph L. Carwise Middle School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Palm Harbor, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joseph L. Carwise Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joseph L. Carwise Middle School
Joseph L. Carwise Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Palm Harbor, Florida, enrolling 859 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 859 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 673 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #567, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.3% 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 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pinellas also operates Palm Harbor University High (2,413 students) and Largo High School (2,058 students) alongside Joseph L. Carwise 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 Joseph L. Carwise Middle School compares
Joseph L. Carwise 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 17% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.0% | ▼ 37% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 859 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
859
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 31% in Florida - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.2%
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
$11,582
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
79
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 65.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.8%
African American 6.3%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 65.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.9, Joseph L. Carwise Middle School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pinellas, which includes Joseph L. Carwise Middle School.
$11,582
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.7%
State 25.1%
Federal 18.3%
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 Joseph L. Carwise Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Harbor University High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Largo High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lake High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie M. Hollins High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Petersburg High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joseph L. Carwise Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,413
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,058
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,934
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,736
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~859 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joseph L. Carwise Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Joseph L. Carwise Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Pinellas'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 Joseph L. Carwise Middle School
How many students attend Joseph L. Carwise Middle School?
Joseph L. Carwise Middle School has 859 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Palm Harbor, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joseph L. Carwise Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Joseph L. Carwise Middle School is 14.8:1, which is 17% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Joseph L. Carwise Middle School?
33.0% of students at Joseph L. Carwise Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joseph L. Carwise Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Joseph L. Carwise Middle School is White at 65.9% of enrollment, in Palm Harbor, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joseph L. Carwise Middle School?
Joseph L. Carwise Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Joseph L. Carwise Middle School rank among public schools in Palm Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph L. Carwise Middle School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Palm Harbor, 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 Palm Harbor on the city page.
Is Joseph L. Carwise Middle School a good school?
Joseph L. Carwise Middle School earns 31/100 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 Pinellas?
Besides Joseph L. Carwise Middle School, Pinellas also operates Palm Harbor University High (2,413 students), Largo High School (2,058 students), and East Lake High School (1,980 students). See the Pinellas 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.