Enrollment
103
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Winter Haven, FL
Ridge Technical Academy
Federal NCES profile for Ridge Technical Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159008701
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridge Technical Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 14
- schools in Winter Haven · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- small classes for Florida
- 53.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridge Technical Academy has class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridge Technical Academy ranks #3 of 14 schools in Winter Haven, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridge Technical Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridge Technical Academy
Ridge Technical Academy is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Winter Haven, Florida, enrolling 103 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.9:1, Ridge Technical Academy is leaner than roughly 85% of Florida schools and 28% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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.
Enrollment of 103 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 66 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #34.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (31%) (diversity index 61/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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 Ridge Technical Academy.
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 Ridge Technical Academy compares
Ridge Technical Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▼ 28% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.6% | ▲ 3% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 103 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
103
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 15% in Florida - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$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 + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 51.5%
White 31.1%
African American 16.5%
Two or More 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.1, Ridge Technical Academy is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Ridge Technical Academy.
$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 Ridge Technical Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridge Technical Academy'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 (~103 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridge Technical Academy's federal record.
- Compare Ridge Technical Academy 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 Ridge Technical Academy
How many students attend Ridge Technical Academy?
Ridge Technical Academy has 103 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Winter Haven, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridge Technical Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridge Technical Academy is 12.9:1, which is 28% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% lower 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 Ridge Technical Academy?
53.6% of students at Ridge Technical Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridge Technical Academy?
The largest demographic group at Ridge Technical Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment, in Winter Haven, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridge Technical Academy?
Ridge Technical Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Ridge Technical Academy rank among schools in Winter Haven?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridge Technical Academy ranks #3 of 14 schools in Winter Haven, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Winter Haven on the city page.
Is Ridge Technical Academy a good school?
Ridge Technical Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Ridge Technical Academy, 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.