Enrollment
556
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sarasota, FL
Suncoast Polytechnical High School
Federal NCES profile for Suncoast Polytechnical High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120168007003
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Suncoast Polytechnical High School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 5
- high schools in Sarasota · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Florida
- 32.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Suncoast Polytechnical High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Suncoast Polytechnical High School ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Sarasota, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Suncoast Polytechnical High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Suncoast Polytechnical High School
Suncoast Polytechnical High School is a mid-sized high school in Sarasota, Florida, enrolling 556 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 556 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 458 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 48/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 185 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Sarasota also operates Riverview High School (2,637 students) and Venice Senior High School (2,579 students) alongside Suncoast Polytechnical 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 Suncoast Polytechnical High School compares
Suncoast Polytechnical 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 | 19.9:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.0% | ▼ 38% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 556 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
556
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% 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
7.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,753
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 185 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 67.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.0%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 2.0%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.4, Suncoast Polytechnical High School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sarasota, which includes Suncoast Polytechnical High School.
$12,753
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.1%
State 11.5%
Federal 11.3%
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 Suncoast Polytechnical High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Port High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sarasota High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine View School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Suncoast Polytechnical High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,637
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,579
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,359
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,752
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~556 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Suncoast Polytechnical High School's federal record.
- Compare Suncoast Polytechnical High School against another school. Compare schools
- Sarasota'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 Suncoast Polytechnical High School
How many students attend Suncoast Polytechnical High School?
Suncoast Polytechnical High School has 556 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sarasota, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Suncoast Polytechnical High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Suncoast Polytechnical High School is 19.9:1, which is 12% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Suncoast Polytechnical High School?
32.0% of students at Suncoast Polytechnical High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Suncoast Polytechnical High School?
The largest demographic group at Suncoast Polytechnical High School is White at 67.8% of enrollment, in Sarasota, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Suncoast Polytechnical High School?
Suncoast Polytechnical High School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher 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 Suncoast Polytechnical High School rank among high schools in Sarasota?
By Resource Investment Index, Suncoast Polytechnical High School ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Sarasota, 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 Sarasota on the city page.
Is Suncoast Polytechnical High School a good school?
Suncoast Polytechnical High School earns 60/100 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 Sarasota?
Besides Suncoast Polytechnical High School, Sarasota also operates Riverview High School (2,637 students), Venice Senior High School (2,579 students), and North Port High School (2,557 students). See the Sarasota 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.