Enrollment
1,394
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Panama City, FL
Rutherford High School
Federal NCES profile for Rutherford High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120009000064
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rutherford High School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Florida schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #21 of 22
- schools in Panama City · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 59.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Rutherford High School has class sizes larger than 83% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherford High School ranks #21 of 22 schools in Panama City, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rutherford High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rutherford High School
Rutherford High School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Panama City, Florida, enrolling 1,394 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.9% 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 90% of state schools at 1,394 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 454 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #434, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 349 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.9% 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.
Discipline events run high: 716 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,394 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 30 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Bay also operates A. Crawford Mosley High School (1,864 students) and Deane Bozeman School (1,690 students) alongside Rutherford 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 Rutherford High School compares
Rutherford 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 | 21.4:1 | ▲ 20% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.9% | ▲ 15% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,394 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,394
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 83% in Florida - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
52.9%
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
$10,446
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 349 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
359
in-school suspensions + 357 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 51.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 30 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
White 33.5%
African American 32.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Two or More 10.2%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 33.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Rutherford High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bay, which includes Rutherford High School.
$10,446
Per student
-6%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.0%
State 33.0%
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 Rutherford High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Crawford Mosley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Deane Bozeman School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J.R. Arnold High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bay High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Breakfast Point Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rutherford High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,864
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,690
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,629
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 1,089
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~1,394 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rutherford High School's federal record.
- Compare Rutherford High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bay'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 Rutherford High School
How many students attend Rutherford High School?
Rutherford High School has 1,394 students enrolled. It is a public school in Panama City, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rutherford High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rutherford High School is 21.4:1, which is 20% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rutherford High School?
59.9% of students at Rutherford High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rutherford High School?
The largest demographic group at Rutherford High School is White at 33.5% of enrollment, in Panama City, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rutherford High School?
Rutherford High School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Rutherford High School rank among schools in Panama City?
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherford High School ranks #21 of 22 schools in Panama City, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Panama City on the city page.
Is Rutherford High School a good school?
Rutherford High School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Florida schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Bay?
Besides Rutherford High School, Bay also operates A. Crawford Mosley High School (1,864 students), Deane Bozeman School (1,690 students), and J.R. Arnold High School (1,629 students). See the Bay 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.