Enrollment
29
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Plant City, FL
Simmons Exceptional Center
Federal NCES profile for Simmons Exceptional Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120087002511
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Simmons Exceptional Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Florida.
- #14 of 14
- schools in Plant City · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29:1
- large classes for Florida
- 75.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Simmons Exceptional Center has class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Simmons Exceptional Center ranks #14 of 14 schools in Plant City, FL.
School address
District: Hillsborough · Florida
NCES ID 120087002511 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Simmons Exceptional Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Simmons Exceptional Center
Simmons Exceptional Center is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Plant City, Florida, enrolling 29 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29:1 is larger than about 95% of Florida schools and 63% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 75.0% of students qualify for free meals, 44% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Florida schools, with 29 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 38 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #36, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and African American (38%) (diversity index 66/100).
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: 14 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 29 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Simmons Exceptional Center.
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 Simmons Exceptional Center compares
Simmons Exceptional Center on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 29:1 | ▲ 63% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.0% | ▲ 44% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 29 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
29
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
29:1
students per teacher
- 63% above state mean
Top 95% in Florida - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 48.3 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 41.4%
African American 37.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
Two or More 6.9%
Largest group: White at 41.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Simmons Exceptional Center is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsborough, which includes Simmons Exceptional Center.
$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 Simmons Exceptional Center 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 | Lower S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Simmons Exceptional Center'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 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 (~29 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Simmons Exceptional Center's federal record.
- Compare Simmons Exceptional Center 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 Simmons Exceptional Center
How many students attend Simmons Exceptional Center?
Simmons Exceptional Center has 29 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Plant City, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Simmons Exceptional Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Simmons Exceptional Center is 29:1, which is 63% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 85% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Simmons Exceptional Center?
75.0% of students at Simmons Exceptional Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Simmons Exceptional Center?
The largest demographic group at Simmons Exceptional Center is White at 41.4% of enrollment, in Plant City, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Simmons Exceptional Center?
Simmons Exceptional Center has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Simmons Exceptional Center rank among schools in Plant City?
By Resource Investment Index, Simmons Exceptional Center ranks #14 of 14 schools in Plant 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 Plant City on the city page.
Is Simmons Exceptional Center a good school?
Simmons Exceptional Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Simmons Exceptional Center, 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.