Enrollment
610
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakeland, FL
Mckeel Academy Central
Federal NCES profile for Mckeel Academy Central, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159004137Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mckeel Academy Central earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #5 of 38
- schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.4:1
- students per teacher
- 33.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mckeel Academy Central has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mckeel Academy Central ranks #5 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mckeel Academy Central compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mckeel Academy Central
Mckeel Academy Central is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 610 students.
At 17.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 610 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 561 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 60/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 Mckeel Academy Central.
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 Mckeel Academy Central compares
Mckeel Academy Central on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.6% | ▼ 35% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 610 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
610
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 59% in Florida - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
1.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
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 + 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
White 58.0%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
African American 13.8%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Mckeel Academy Central is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Mckeel Academy Central.
$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 Mckeel Academy Central 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 | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mckeel Academy Central'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 (~610 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mckeel Academy Central's federal record.
- Compare Mckeel Academy Central 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 Mckeel Academy Central
How many students attend Mckeel Academy Central?
Mckeel Academy Central has 610 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mckeel Academy Central?
The student-teacher ratio at Mckeel Academy Central is 17.4:1, which is 2% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 11% higher 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 Mckeel Academy Central?
33.6% of students at Mckeel Academy Central are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mckeel Academy Central?
The largest demographic group at Mckeel Academy Central is White at 58.0% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mckeel Academy Central?
Mckeel Academy Central has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (higher 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 Mckeel Academy Central rank among schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Mckeel Academy Central ranks #5 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lakeland on the city page.
Is Mckeel Academy Central a good school?
Mckeel Academy Central earns 66/100 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 Polk?
Besides Mckeel Academy Central, 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.