Enrollment
1,064
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Winter Garden, FL
Water Spring Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Water Spring Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120144008943
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Water Spring Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Winter Garden · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 39.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 19.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Water Spring Middle School has class sizes larger than 98% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Water Spring Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Winter Garden, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
39.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+121% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Water Spring Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Water Spring Middle School
Water Spring Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Winter Garden, Florida, enrolling 1,064 students.
Class loads run heavy: 39.4:1 is larger than about 98% of Florida schools and 121% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.8% free-meal eligibility runs 62% below the Florida average.
Enrollment of 1,064 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.
Among 373 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #287, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (40%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1064 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.0% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students) and Timber Creek High (3,383 students) alongside Water Spring 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 Water Spring Middle School compares
Water Spring 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 | 39.4:1 | ▲ 121% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.8% | ▼ 62% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,064 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
39.4:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,064
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
39.4:1
students per teacher
- 121% above state mean
Top 98% in Florida - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,578
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1064 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 47.4%
White 40.3%
African American 4.9%
Asian 4.8%
Two or More 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.8, Water Spring 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 Orange, which includes Water Spring Middle School.
$11,578
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.2%
State 28.8%
Federal 18.0%
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 Water Spring Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apopka High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Timber Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Winter Park High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colonial High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Windermere High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Water Spring Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,446
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 3,383
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,277
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,239
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 3,217
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~1,064 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Water Spring Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Water Spring Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Orange'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 Water Spring Middle School
How many students attend Water Spring Middle School?
Water Spring Middle School has 1,064 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Winter Garden, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Water Spring Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Water Spring Middle School is 39.4:1, which is 121% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 151% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Water Spring Middle School?
19.8% of students at Water Spring Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Water Spring Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Water Spring Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 47.4% of enrollment, in Winter Garden, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Water Spring Middle School?
Water Spring Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Water Spring Middle School rank among middle schools in Winter Garden?
By Resource Investment Index, Water Spring Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Winter Garden, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Winter Garden on the city page.
Is Water Spring Middle School a good school?
Water Spring Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Orange?
Besides Water Spring Middle School, Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students), Timber Creek High (3,383 students), and Winter Park High (3,277 students). See the Orange 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.