Enrollment
2,572
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Plant City, FL
Plant City High School
Federal NCES profile for Plant City High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120087001000
👥 S:T ratio 8
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plant City High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #17 of 19
- public schools in Plant City · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23:1
- large classes for Florida
- 53.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Plant City High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plant City High School ranks #17 of 19 public schools in Plant City, FL.
School address
District: Hillsborough · Florida
NCES ID 120087001000 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
112.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plant City High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plant City High School
Plant City High School is a higher-need, large high school in Plant City, Florida, enrolling 2,572 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23:1 is larger than about 88% of Florida schools and 29% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.6% 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 98% of state schools at 2,572 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 178 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #146, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (55%) and White (30%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 429 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 752 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,572 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Plant City 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 Plant City High School compares
Plant City 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 | 23:1 | ▲ 29% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.6% | ▲ 3% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,572 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,572
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
23:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 88% in Florida - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.5%
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
$9,835
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 429 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
464
in-school suspensions + 288 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
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 54.7%
White 29.7%
African American 11.9%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Plant City High School 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 Hillsborough, which includes Plant City High School.
$9,835
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 16.1%
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 Plant City High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Connections Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jule F Sumner High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lennard High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plant City High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,748
- Students per teacher
- 40.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,602
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,157
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,863
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,553
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~2,572 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plant City High School's federal record.
- Compare Plant City High School against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsborough'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 Plant City High School
How many students attend Plant City High School?
Plant City High School has 2,572 students enrolled. It is a high school in Plant City, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plant City High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Plant City High School is 23:1, which is 29% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plant City High School?
53.6% of students at Plant City High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plant City High School?
The largest demographic group at Plant City High School is Hispanic or Latino at 54.7% of enrollment, in Plant City, 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 Plant City High School?
Plant City High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Plant City High School rank among public schools in Plant City?
By Resource Investment Index, Plant City High School ranks #17 of 19 public schools in Plant City, 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 Plant City on the city page.
Is Plant City High School a good school?
Plant City High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Plant City High School, Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students), Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students), and Newsome High School (3,157 students). See the Hillsborough 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.