Enrollment
168
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ruskin, FL
South County Career Center
Federal NCES profile for South County Career Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120087003863
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South County Career Center earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Ruskin · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- small classes for Florida
- 66.8%
- free-lunch eligible
South County Career Center has class sizes smaller than 77% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South County Career Center ranks #1 of 4 schools in Ruskin, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South County Career Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at South County Career Center
South County Career Center is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Ruskin, Florida, enrolling 168 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 168 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 119 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #23.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (24%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 84 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside South County Career 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 South County Career Center compares
South County Career 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 21% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.8% | ▲ 28% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 168 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
168
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 23% in Florida - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
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 84 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 56.0%
White 23.8%
African American 14.9%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.6, South County Career Center is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsborough, which includes South County Career 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 South County Career 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 | 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South County Career 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 (~168 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South County Career Center's federal record.
- Compare South County Career 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 South County Career Center
How many students attend South County Career Center?
South County Career Center has 168 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Ruskin, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South County Career Center?
The student-teacher ratio at South County Career Center is 14:1, which is 21% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South County Career Center?
66.8% of students at South County Career Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South County Career Center?
The largest demographic group at South County Career Center is Hispanic or Latino at 56.0% of enrollment, in Ruskin, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South County Career Center?
South County Career Center has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South County Career Center rank among schools in Ruskin?
By Resource Investment Index, South County Career Center ranks #1 of 4 schools in Ruskin, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ruskin on the city page.
Is South County Career Center a good school?
South County Career Center earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 South County Career 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.