Enrollment
823
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pace, FL
Thomas L Sims Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas L Sims Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120165003504
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas L Sims Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Pace · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 25.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas L Sims Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas L Sims Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Pace, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas L Sims Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas L Sims Middle School
Thomas L Sims Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Pace, Florida, enrolling 823 students.
At 16.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 25.1% free-meal eligibility runs 52% below the Florida average.
Enrollment of 823 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 515 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #315.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (10%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Santa Rosa also operates Navarre High School (2,410 students) and Pace High School (2,316 students) alongside Thomas L Sims 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 Thomas L Sims Middle School compares
Thomas L Sims 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 | 16.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.1% | ▼ 52% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 823 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
823
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 50% in Florida - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.4%
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
$9,674
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 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
92
in-school suspensions + 56 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.0 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 76.1%
Two or More 9.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
African American 3.0%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.3, Thomas L Sims Middle School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Rosa, which includes Thomas L Sims Middle School.
$9,674
Per student
-13%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.1%
State 50.9%
Federal 17.0%
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 Thomas L Sims Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navarre High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pace High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Milton High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gulf Breeze High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Bay K-8 School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas L Sims Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,410
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,316
- Students per teacher
- 26:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,985
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,946
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,100
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~823 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas L Sims Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas L Sims Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Rosa'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 Thomas L Sims Middle School
How many students attend Thomas L Sims Middle School?
Thomas L Sims Middle School has 823 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pace, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas L Sims Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas L Sims Middle School is 16.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 5% higher 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 Thomas L Sims Middle School?
25.1% of students at Thomas L Sims Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas L Sims Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas L Sims Middle School is White at 76.1% of enrollment, in Pace, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas L Sims Middle School?
Thomas L Sims Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Thomas L Sims Middle School rank among public schools in Pace?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas L Sims Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Pace, 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 Pace on the city page.
Is Thomas L Sims Middle School a good school?
Thomas L Sims Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Santa Rosa?
Besides Thomas L Sims Middle School, Santa Rosa also operates Navarre High School (2,410 students), Pace High School (2,316 students), and Milton High School (1,985 students). See the Santa Rosa 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.