Enrollment
175
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake Alfred, FL
Karen M. Siegel Academy
Federal NCES profile for Karen M. Siegel Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001736
👥 S:T ratio 71
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Karen M. Siegel Academy earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Lake Alfred · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.3:1
- small classes for Florida
- 44.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Karen M. Siegel Academy has class sizes smaller than 96% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Karen M. Siegel Academy ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Lake Alfred, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-59% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Karen M. Siegel Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Karen M. Siegel Academy
Karen M. Siegel Academy is a small combined-grade school in Lake Alfred, Florida, enrolling 175 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.3:1, Karen M. Siegel Academy is leaner than roughly 96% of Florida schools and 59% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 175 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 70 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #51, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (34%) (diversity index 64/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Karen M. Siegel Academy.
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 Karen M. Siegel Academy compares
Karen M. Siegel Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.3:1 | ▼ 59% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.7% | ▼ 14% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 175 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.3:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
175
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.3:1
students per teacher
- 59% below state mean
Top 4% in Florida - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
66.9%
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
$11,454
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 46.3%
White 33.7%
African American 17.1%
Asian 1.1%
Two or More 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.3, Karen M. Siegel Academy is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Karen M. Siegel Academy.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 Karen M. Siegel Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Karen M. Siegel Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~175 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Karen M. Siegel Academy's federal record.
- Compare Karen M. Siegel Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Polk'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 Karen M. Siegel Academy
How many students attend Karen M. Siegel Academy?
Karen M. Siegel Academy has 175 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Lake Alfred, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Karen M. Siegel Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Karen M. Siegel Academy is 7.3:1, which is 59% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 54% 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 Karen M. Siegel Academy?
44.7% of students at Karen M. Siegel Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Karen M. Siegel Academy?
The largest demographic group at Karen M. Siegel Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 46.3% of enrollment, in Lake Alfred, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Karen M. Siegel Academy?
Karen M. Siegel Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Karen M. Siegel Academy rank among public schools in Lake Alfred?
By Resource Investment Index, Karen M. Siegel Academy ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Lake Alfred, 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 Lake Alfred on the city page.
Is Karen M. Siegel Academy a good school?
Karen M. Siegel Academy earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Polk?
Besides Karen M. Siegel Academy, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk 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.