Enrollment
1,916
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fort Myers, FL
Riverdale High School
Federal NCES profile for Riverdale High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120108001157
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverdale High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Florida schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #7 of 8
- high schools in Fort Myers · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.6:1
- large classes for Florida
- 46.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverdale High School has class sizes larger than 94% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverdale High School ranks #7 of 8 high schools in Fort Myers, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+49% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverdale High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverdale High School
Riverdale High School is a large high school in Fort Myers, Florida, enrolling 1,916 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.6:1 is larger than about 94% of Florida schools and 49% 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 46.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,916 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #282, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (43%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 639 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students) and Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students) alongside Riverdale 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 Riverdale High School compares
Riverdale 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 | 26.6:1 | ▲ 49% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.7% | ▼ 10% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,916 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.6:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,916
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.6:1
students per teacher
- 49% above state mean
Top 94% in Florida - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
43.6%
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
$10,788
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 639 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
105
in-school suspensions + 100 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 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 46.0%
White 42.5%
African American 8.2%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.1, Riverdale High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee, which includes Riverdale High School.
$10,788
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 25.0%
Federal 17.0%
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 Riverdale High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Charter Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lehigh Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ida S. Baker High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Lee County High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverdale High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,192
- Students per teacher
- 51.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,550
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 31.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,191
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,129
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
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 (~1,916 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverdale High School's federal record.
- Compare Riverdale High School against another school. Compare schools
- Lee'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 Riverdale High School
How many students attend Riverdale High School?
Riverdale High School has 1,916 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fort Myers, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverdale High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverdale High School is 26.6:1, which is 49% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Riverdale High School?
46.7% of students at Riverdale High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverdale High School?
The largest demographic group at Riverdale High School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.0% of enrollment, in Fort Myers, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverdale High School?
Riverdale High School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Riverdale High School rank among high schools in Fort Myers?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverdale High School ranks #7 of 8 high schools in Fort Myers, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Fort Myers on the city page.
Is Riverdale High School a good school?
Riverdale High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Lee?
Besides Riverdale High School, Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students), Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students), and Gateway High School (2,343 students). See the Lee 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.