Enrollment
1,063
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Palmetto Bay, FL
Southwood Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Southwood Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120039000583
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwood Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Palmetto Bay · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.8:1
- large classes for Florida
- 39.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwood Middle School has class sizes larger than 80% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwood Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Palmetto Bay, FL.
School address
District: Miami-Dade · Florida
NCES ID 120039000583 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwood Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwood Middle School
Southwood Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Palmetto Bay, Florida, enrolling 1,063 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,063 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 679 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #241.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 354 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 12 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 Southwood 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 Southwood Middle School compares
Southwood 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 | 20.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.3% | ▼ 24% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,063 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,063
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 80% in Florida - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$12,258
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 354 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 12 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 62.7%
African American 16.8%
White 16.0%
Asian 2.8%
Two or More 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Southwood Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes Southwood Middle 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 Southwood Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwood Middle 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 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 (~1,063 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwood Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Southwood Middle 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 Southwood Middle School
How many students attend Southwood Middle School?
Southwood Middle School has 1,063 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Palmetto Bay, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwood Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwood Middle School is 20.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwood Middle School?
39.3% of students at Southwood Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwood Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Southwood Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 62.7% of enrollment, in Palmetto Bay, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwood Middle School?
Southwood Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Southwood Middle School rank among public schools in Palmetto Bay?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwood Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Palmetto Bay, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Palmetto Bay on the city page.
Is Southwood Middle School a good school?
Southwood Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Miami-Dade?
Besides Southwood Middle 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.