Enrollment
595
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tampa, FL
Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sergeant Paul R Smith 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 120087007336
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Florida schools.
- #12 of 25
- middle schools in Tampa · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Florida
- 54.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School has class sizes larger than 76% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School ranks #12 of 25 middle schools in Tampa, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School
Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Tampa, Florida, enrolling 595 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.4% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 595 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 922 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #390.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and White (17%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 298 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 213 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 595 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Sergeant Paul R Smith 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 Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School compares
Sergeant Paul R Smith 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.4% | ▲ 5% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 595 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
595
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Florida - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.6%
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
$9,835
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 298 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
102
in-school suspensions + 111 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 66.6%
White 17.0%
African American 6.4%
Asian 6.2%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsborough, which includes Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School.
$9,835
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 16.1%
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 Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Connections Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jule F Sumner High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,748
- Students per teacher
- 40.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,602
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,157
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,863
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,572
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~595 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsborough'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 Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School
How many students attend Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School?
Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School has 595 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tampa, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School is 19.8:1, which is 11% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School?
54.4% of students at Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 66.6% of enrollment, in Tampa, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School?
Sergeant Paul R Smith 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 Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School rank among middle schools in Tampa?
By Resource Investment Index, Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School ranks #12 of 25 middle schools in Tampa, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Tampa on the city page.
Is Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School a good school?
Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Sergeant Paul R Smith Middle School, Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students), Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students), and Newsome High School (3,157 students). See the Hillsborough 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.