Enrollment
1,750
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lakeland, FL
Mckeel Academy of Technology
Federal NCES profile for Mckeel Academy of Technology, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001785Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 99
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mckeel Academy of Technology earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Florida schools.
- #7 of 38
- schools in Lakeland · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 30.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mckeel Academy of Technology has class sizes larger than 87% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mckeel Academy of Technology ranks #7 of 38 schools in Lakeland, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mckeel Academy of Technology compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mckeel Academy of Technology
Mckeel Academy of Technology is a large charter combined-grade school in Lakeland, Florida, enrolling 1,750 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.7:1 is larger than about 87% of Florida schools and 28% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,750 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 290 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 292 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.3% 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 of Technology.
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 of Technology compares
Mckeel Academy of Technology on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 28% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.9% | ▼ 41% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,750 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,750
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 87% in Florida - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
0.3%
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 292 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 62.8%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
African American 8.1%
Asian 4.0%
Two or More 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.6, Mckeel Academy of Technology is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Mckeel Academy of Technology.
$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 of Technology Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mckeel Academy of Technology'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 (~1,750 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mckeel Academy of Technology's federal record.
- Compare Mckeel Academy of Technology 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 of Technology
How many students attend Mckeel Academy of Technology?
Mckeel Academy of Technology has 1,750 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lakeland, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mckeel Academy of Technology?
The student-teacher ratio at Mckeel Academy of Technology is 22.7:1, which is 28% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mckeel Academy of Technology?
30.9% of students at Mckeel Academy of Technology are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mckeel Academy of Technology?
The largest demographic group at Mckeel Academy of Technology is White at 62.8% of enrollment, in Lakeland, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mckeel Academy of Technology?
Mckeel Academy of Technology has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mckeel Academy of Technology rank among schools in Lakeland?
By Resource Investment Index, Mckeel Academy of Technology ranks #7 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 of Technology a good school?
Mckeel Academy of Technology earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Mckeel Academy of Technology, 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.