Enrollment
2,185
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Palmetto, FL
Palmetto High School
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120123001232
👥 S:T ratio 5
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmetto High School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #14 of 15
- public schools in Palmetto · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.8:1
- large classes for Florida
- 54.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmetto High School has class sizes larger than 90% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto High School ranks #14 of 15 public schools in Palmetto, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmetto High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmetto High School
Palmetto High School is a higher-need, large high school in Palmetto, Florida, enrolling 2,185 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.8:1 is larger than about 90% of Florida schools and 34% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.0% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 97% of state schools at 2,185 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 222 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #166, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and White (36%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 837 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,185 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students) and Parrish Community High School (2,266 students) alongside Palmetto High 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 Palmetto High School compares
Palmetto High 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 | 23.8:1 | ▲ 34% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.0% | ▲ 4% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,185 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.8:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,185
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
23.8:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 90% in Florida - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.8%
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
$10,900
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 364 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
516
in-school suspensions + 321 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.3 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 39.8%
White 36.4%
African American 17.6%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, Palmetto High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manatee, which includes Palmetto High School.
$10,900
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 25.8%
Federal 15.9%
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 Palmetto High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Ranch High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parrish Community High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Braden River High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmetto High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,705
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high 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 (~2,185 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmetto High School's federal record.
- Compare Palmetto High School against another school. Compare schools
- Manatee'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 Palmetto High School
How many students attend Palmetto High School?
Palmetto High School has 2,185 students enrolled. It is a high school in Palmetto, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto High School is 23.8:1, which is 34% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmetto High School?
54.0% of students at Palmetto High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmetto High School?
The largest demographic group at Palmetto High School is Hispanic or Latino at 39.8% of enrollment, in Palmetto, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto High School?
Palmetto High School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Palmetto High School rank among public schools in Palmetto?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto High School ranks #14 of 15 public schools in Palmetto, 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 Palmetto on the city page.
Is Palmetto High School a good school?
Palmetto High School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida. 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 Manatee?
Besides Palmetto High School, Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students), Parrish Community High School (2,266 students), and Manatee School for the Arts (2,051 students). See the Manatee 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.