Desoto
Public school district · DeSoto County · Florida · NCES district ID 1200420
Desoto spent $12,385 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 66% of the other Florida districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,744). Its 8 schools enrolled 4,158 students in 2024-25; 44.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,593 per student, up 9.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 73% (Florida: 88%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Florida districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Desoto in enrollment (3,233 to 6,076 students) and Desoto itself.
Where the money came from
$62,287,000 in revenue: 44.2% state, 25.9% local and 29.9% federal. Total spending including $3,808,000 of capital outlay was $61,738,000, or $13,474 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$27,504,000 44%
- Local$16,147,000 26%
- Federal$18,636,000 30%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 66 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
4,582 students in 2022-23, 4,276 students in 2023-24, 4,158 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 4,582 | 239.3 | 19.1 |
| 2023-24 | 4,276 | 222.5 | 19.2 |
| 2024-25 | 4,158 | 232.5 | 17.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$13,979,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,051 per student
Desoto booked $13,979,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 241 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $58,004 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 49 in 100 Florida districts with a figure (state median $58,157, 66 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Florida teacher salary at $51,230 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $11,406,000 | 81.6% |
| Special education | $1,863,000 | 13.3% |
| Vocational | $671,000 | 4.8% |
| Other programs | $39,000 | 0.3% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $2,840 in 2018-19, $2,974 in 2019-20, $3,318 in 2020-21, $3,374 in 2021-22, $3,051 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Desoto scored proficient or above: 32% in reading and 34-35% in math, against 53% in reading and 55% in math across Florida. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Florida, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Florida | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 32% | 53% | 2,107 |
| Math | 34-35% | 55% | 2,132 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
73% of the 339 students in Desoto's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Florida. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 73% | 88% |
| Students in the class | 339 | 208,274 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
3 elementary schools, 1,958 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Elementary School | 861 | 19.6 | 59.3% | Not Title I |
| West Elementary School | 622 | 16.8 | 55.3% | Not Title I |
| Nocatee Elementary School | 475 | 18.3 | 64.4% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 922 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Middle School | 922 | 16.5 | 51.7% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 1,215 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto County High School | 1,215 | 17.7 | 44.9% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 other schools, 63 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Secondary School | 51 | 51.0 | 51.0% | Not Title I |
| Reduced Services | 9 | not reported | not reported | Not Title I |
| Teen Paren Pk Child Care Program | 3 | not reported | not reported | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Desoto Virtual Academy
School in Arcadia; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 53 students; 26.5 students per teacher.
Reduced Services
School in Arcadia; open in 2024-25; 9 students.
Teen Paren Pk Child Care Program
School in Arcadia; open in 2024-25; 3 students.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Desoto
- Website: desotoschools.com
- Phone: (863) 494-4222
- Office: 530 Lasolona Ave, Arcadia, FL 34266
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Desoto
- Florida districts by spending per studentDesoto ranks 23 of 66 Florida districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,385).#23 of 66
- Every school district in FloridaDesoto is the number 53 by size of 80 Florida districts, with 4,582 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#53 of 80
- GadsdenThe next larger Florida district: 4,616 students in fall 2022, $13,871 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,871
- Washington County School DistrictThe next smaller Florida district: 3,313 students in fall 2022, $11,470 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,470
- Compare Desoto with GadsdenEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Desoto County High School, its largest high school1,215 students in 2024-25, 17.7 per teacher.1,215
- Teacher salary spending across FloridaDesoto spent $58,004 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $58,157); spending, not a salary.$58,004
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Desoto
How many schools and students are in Desoto?
8 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high, 3 other), enrolling 4,158 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Desoto spend per student?
$12,385 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Florida median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,744 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,593 per student, up 9.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Desoto's money come from?
$62,287,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 44.2% state, 25.9% local and 29.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Desoto live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,465 of the 4,673 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 31.4%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Desoto spend on teacher salaries?
$13,979,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,051 per student. Divided by the 241 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $58,004 per teacher, more than 49 in 100 Florida districts (state median $58,157). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Florida teacher salary at $51,230 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Desoto do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Desoto scored proficient or above: 32% in reading and 34-35% in math, against 53% in reading and 55% in math across Florida. Florida's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Desoto?
73% of the 339 students in Desoto's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Florida. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Desoto's NCES district ID?
1200420. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25