Enrollment
1,385
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sanford, FL
Sanford Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sanford Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120171001871
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sanford Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #10 of 21
- public schools in Sanford · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.5:1
- students per teacher
- 38.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sanford Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sanford Middle School ranks #10 of 21 public schools in Sanford, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
75.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sanford Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sanford Middle School
Sanford Middle School is a large middle school in Sanford, Florida, enrolling 1,385 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,385 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 466 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #204.
Its student body is led by Asian (28%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 462 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Seminole also operates Seminole High School (3,807 students) and Lake Brantley High School (2,813 students) alongside Sanford Middle 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 Sanford Middle School compares
Sanford Middle 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.3% | ▼ 26% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,385 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,385
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 67% in Florida - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.4%
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
$9,352
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 462 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
65
in-school suspensions + 172 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 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
Asian 27.9%
White 26.6%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
African American 19.4%
Two or More 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 27.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.5, Sanford Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seminole, which includes Sanford Middle School.
$9,352
Per student
-16%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.4%
State 41.8%
Federal 14.8%
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 Sanford Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminole High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Brantley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Mary High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hagerty High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oviedo High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sanford Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,807
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,813
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 2,714
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,312
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar middle 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 (~1,385 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sanford Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sanford Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Seminole'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 Sanford Middle School
How many students attend Sanford Middle School?
Sanford Middle School has 1,385 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sanford, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanford Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sanford Middle School is 18.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sanford Middle School?
38.3% of students at Sanford Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sanford Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sanford Middle School is Asian at 27.9% of enrollment, in Sanford, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sanford Middle School?
Sanford Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sanford Middle School rank among public schools in Sanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Sanford Middle School ranks #10 of 21 public schools in Sanford, 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 Sanford on the city page.
Is Sanford Middle School a good school?
Sanford Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Seminole?
Besides Sanford Middle School, Seminole also operates Seminole High School (3,807 students), Lake Brantley High School (2,813 students), and Lake Mary High School (2,714 students). See the Seminole 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.