Enrollment
61
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 120015002052
North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center — Merritt Island, FL
Federal NCES profile for North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 57/100.
👥 Class size 69
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 88
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.7:1
vs 18.3:1 Florida avg
-58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center reports 61 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 7.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 58% below the Florida state mean of 18.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 52% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 42% above the Florida average and 43% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 61 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 100.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Brevard spends $11,592 per pupil district-wide, below the Florida average of $12,756 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 45.1% from local sources (property taxes), 37.1% from the state, and 17.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Florida state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.7:1 | ▼ 58% | 18.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.1% | ▲ 42% | 52.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 61 | top 8% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
74.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 42% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.7:1
students per teacher
— 58% below state mean
Top 4% in Florida — lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
100.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,592
per pupil, district-wide
— below Florida avg of $12,756
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 61 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 63.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 137.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 61 Top 8% in Florida — larger than 92% of 4,029 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 7.0
Students per teacher 7.7:1 -58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.1% +42% vs state
NCES ID 120015002052
Student demographics
African American 44.3%
White 32.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
Two or More 4.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.6%
Largest group: African American at 44.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 61:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
In-school suspensions 39
Out-of-school suspensions 45
Expulsions 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brevard, which includes North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center.
$11,592
Per student
-9%
vs Florida
Avg $12,756
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 37.1%
Federal 17.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,334
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,917
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
Similar other schools in Merritt Island
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Edgewood Jr/Sr High School
Standard public school
942 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Lewis Carroll Elementary School
Standard public school
634 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Tropical Elementary School
Standard public school
569 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Audubon Elementary School
Standard public school
416 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Mila Elementary School
Standard public school
382 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center
How many students attend North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center?
North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center has 61 students enrolled. It is a other school in MERRITT ISLAND, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center is 7.7:1, which is 58% lower than the Florida average of 18.3:1 and 52% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center?
74.1% of students at North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center is African American at 44.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in MERRITT ISLAND, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center?
North/Central Area Alternative Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.