Enrollment
1,611
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Miami, FL
South Miami Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for South Miami Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120039000613
👥 S:T ratio 13
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Miami Senior High School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #25 of 37
- high schools in Miami · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.8:1
- large classes for Florida
- 54.7%
- free-lunch eligible
South Miami Senior High School has class sizes larger than 84% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Miami Senior High School ranks #25 of 37 high schools in Miami, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Miami Senior High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Miami Senior High School
South Miami Senior High School is a higher-need, large high school in Miami, Florida, enrolling 1,611 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.7% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,611 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 378 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #281, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 403 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 46 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students) and Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students) alongside South Miami Senior 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 South Miami Senior High School compares
South Miami Senior 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 | 21.8:1 | ▲ 22% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▲ 5% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,611 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,611
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.7%
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
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 84% in Florida - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
48.0%
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
$12,258
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 403 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 46 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
Hispanic or Latino 93.6%
White 3.0%
African American 3.0%
Asian 0.2%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.2, South Miami Senior High School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes South Miami Senior High School.
$12,258
Per student
+10%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 23.3%
Federal 19.5%
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 Miami Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Miami Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,291
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,399
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3,382
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,100
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,009
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~1,611 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Miami Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare South Miami Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Miami-Dade'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 Miami Senior High School
How many students attend South Miami Senior High School?
South Miami Senior High School has 1,611 students enrolled. It is a high school in Miami, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Miami Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Miami Senior High School is 21.8:1, which is 22% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Miami Senior High School?
54.7% of students at South Miami Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Miami Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at South Miami Senior High School is Hispanic or Latino at 93.6% of enrollment, in Miami, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Miami Senior High School?
South Miami Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 South Miami Senior High School rank among high schools in Miami?
By Resource Investment Index, South Miami Senior High School ranks #25 of 37 high schools in Miami, 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 Miami on the city page.
Is South Miami Senior High School a good school?
South Miami Senior High School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Florida schools. It is also less 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 Miami-Dade?
Besides South Miami Senior High School, Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students), Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students), and South Dade Senior High School (3,382 students). See the Miami-Dade 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.