Enrollment
2,359
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sarasota, FL
Sarasota High School
Federal NCES profile for Sarasota High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120168001838
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sarasota High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also one of the largest schools in Florida.
- #2 of 5
- high schools in Sarasota · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- students per teacher
- 36.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sarasota High School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sarasota High School ranks #2 of 5 high schools in Sarasota, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
128.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sarasota High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sarasota High School
Sarasota High School is a large high school in Sarasota, Florida, enrolling 2,359 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,359 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 200 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Sarasota also operates Riverview High School (2,637 students) and Venice Senior High School (2,579 students) alongside Sarasota 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 Sarasota High School compares
Sarasota 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.4% | ▼ 30% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,359 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,359
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 66% in Florida - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.6%
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
$12,753
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 130 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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
White 54.7%
Hispanic or Latino 33.4%
African American 5.0%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 54.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.4, Sarasota High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sarasota, which includes Sarasota High School.
$12,753
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.1%
State 11.5%
Federal 11.3%
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 Sarasota High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Port High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine View School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Booker High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sarasota High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,637
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,579
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,752
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~2,359 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sarasota High School's federal record.
- Compare Sarasota High School against another school. Compare schools
- Sarasota'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 Sarasota High School
How many students attend Sarasota High School?
Sarasota High School has 2,359 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sarasota, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sarasota High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sarasota High School is 18.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sarasota High School?
36.4% of students at Sarasota High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sarasota High School?
The largest demographic group at Sarasota High School is White at 54.7% of enrollment, in Sarasota, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sarasota High School?
Sarasota High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Sarasota High School rank among high schools in Sarasota?
By Resource Investment Index, Sarasota High School ranks #2 of 5 high schools in Sarasota, 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 Sarasota on the city page.
Is Sarasota High School a good school?
Sarasota High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Sarasota?
Besides Sarasota High School, Sarasota also operates Riverview High School (2,637 students), Venice Senior High School (2,579 students), and North Port High School (2,557 students). See the Sarasota 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.