Enrollment
61
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dover, FL
Willis Peters Exceptional Center
Federal NCES profile for Willis Peters Exceptional Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120087008067
👥 S:T ratio 85
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willis Peters Exceptional Center earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Dover · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 3.8:1
- small classes for Florida
- 41.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Willis Peters Exceptional Center has class sizes smaller than 99% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willis Peters Exceptional Center ranks #2 of 4 schools in Dover, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-79% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willis Peters Exceptional Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willis Peters Exceptional Center
Willis Peters Exceptional Center is a small combined-grade school in Dover, Florida, enrolling 61 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.8:1, Willis Peters Exceptional Center is leaner than roughly 99% of Florida schools and 79% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.4% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Florida schools, with 61 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 40 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #24.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Willis Peters Exceptional Center.
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 Willis Peters Exceptional Center compares
Willis Peters Exceptional Center on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 3.8:1 | ▼ 79% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.4% | ▼ 20% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 61 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.8:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
61
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
3.8:1
students per teacher
- 79% below state mean
Top 1% in Florida - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
54.1%
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
$9,835
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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
White 37.7%
Hispanic or Latino 32.8%
African American 23.0%
Asian 4.9%
Two or More 1.6%
Largest group: White at 37.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.5, Willis Peters Exceptional Center is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsborough, which includes Willis Peters Exceptional Center.
$9,835
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 16.1%
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 Willis Peters Exceptional Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Connections Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jule F Sumner High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willis Peters Exceptional Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,748
- Students per teacher
- 40.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,602
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,157
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,863
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,572
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other 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 (~61 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willis Peters Exceptional Center's federal record.
- Compare Willis Peters Exceptional Center against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsborough'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 Willis Peters Exceptional Center
How many students attend Willis Peters Exceptional Center?
Willis Peters Exceptional Center has 61 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Dover, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willis Peters Exceptional Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Willis Peters Exceptional Center is 3.8:1, which is 79% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 76% 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 Willis Peters Exceptional Center?
41.4% of students at Willis Peters Exceptional Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willis Peters Exceptional Center?
The largest demographic group at Willis Peters Exceptional Center is White at 37.7% of enrollment, in Dover, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willis Peters Exceptional Center?
Willis Peters Exceptional Center has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Willis Peters Exceptional Center rank among schools in Dover?
By Resource Investment Index, Willis Peters Exceptional Center ranks #2 of 4 schools in Dover, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dover on the city page.
Is Willis Peters Exceptional Center a good school?
Willis Peters Exceptional Center earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Willis Peters Exceptional Center, Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students), Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students), and Newsome High School (3,157 students). See the Hillsborough 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.