Enrollment
620
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fort Lauderdale, FL
William Dandy Middle School
Federal NCES profile for William Dandy Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120018000222
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William Dandy Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Fort Lauderdale · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- small classes for Florida
- 82.3%
- free-lunch eligible
William Dandy Middle School has class sizes smaller than 79% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William Dandy Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120018000222 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Dandy Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at William Dandy Middle School
William Dandy Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, enrolling 620 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 82.3% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 620 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 586 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #55, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 207 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 376 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 620 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students) and Western High School (3,510 students) alongside William Dandy 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 William Dandy Middle School compares
William Dandy 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 22% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.3% | ▲ 58% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 620 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
620
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 21% in Florida - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.2%
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
$11,419
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 207 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
242
in-school suspensions + 134 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 39.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 60.6 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
African American 91.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
White 0.8%
Two or More 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.2, William Dandy 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 Broward, which includes William Dandy Middle School.
$11,419
Per student
+2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.6%
State 31.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 William Dandy Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Bay High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Glades High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Broward High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William Dandy Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,579
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 3,510
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,843
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,492
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~620 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William Dandy Middle School's federal record.
- Compare William Dandy Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Broward'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 William Dandy Middle School
How many students attend William Dandy Middle School?
William Dandy Middle School has 620 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Dandy Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at William Dandy Middle School is 13.8:1, which is 22% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 12% lower 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 William Dandy Middle School?
82.3% of students at William Dandy Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Dandy Middle School?
The largest demographic group at William Dandy Middle School is African American at 91.3% of enrollment, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Dandy Middle School?
William Dandy Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 William Dandy Middle School rank among middle schools in Fort Lauderdale?
By Resource Investment Index, William Dandy Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Fort Lauderdale, 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 Fort Lauderdale on the city page.
Is William Dandy Middle School a good school?
William Dandy Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Broward?
Besides William Dandy Middle School, Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students), Western High School (3,510 students), and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (3,089 students). See the Broward 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.