Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 162 schools in district

RIDGE TECHNICAL ACADEMY

7700 STATE ROAD 544, WINTER HAVEN, FL 33881POLK →
Federal DataAlternative Education SchoolGrades 06–12Non-Charter
84
Students
Total enrolled
25%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
↓ 71% vs nat'l
$12,028
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 16% vs nat'l
10.5 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 32% vs nat'l
39/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 21% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 84 students in grades 06–12 in WINTER HAVEN, Florida.
16% below average funding
District spends $12,028 per pupil, 16% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 39th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

RIDGE TECHNICAL ACADEMY is a small high in WINTER HAVEN, Florida, serving grades 06–12 with 84 students. The district invests $12,028 per student — 16% below the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 10.5:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 54% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 39/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at RIDGE TECHNICAL ACADEMY

84
Total Students
10.5 : 1
Student:Teacher
54%
Free Lunch
8
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (06–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution49 male · 35 female
58%
42%
Male 58%Female 42%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility54%
National avg 52% · 45 students
Student Composition
35%
48%
15%
White35%
Hispanic / Latino48%
Black15%
Multiracial2%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 120159008701

Academic Outcomes at RIDGE TECHNICAL ACADEMY

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
LT50
Below avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
25%
State avg
88%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
39
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 39th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 25th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 33881

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,028Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,028
State avg
$12,753
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,292
Student Support$2,285
Administration$1,443
Operations$1,804
Other$1,203
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,028 spent per student, an estimated $5,329 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
44%
35%
State government
43.8%
Local (property tax)
35.2%
Federal programs
21.0%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 10.5:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 25% graduation rate — below the national average of 87%
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
HORIZONS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLCITRUS RIDGE A CIVICS ACADEMYSOUTH MCKEEL ACADEMYDAVENPORT SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
+3 more
↓
Middle
SHELLEY S. BOONE MIDDLE SCHOOLLAKELAND HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOLLAKE GIBSON MIDDLE SCHOOLMULBERRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
+2 more
↓
High School
RIDGE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOLHAINES CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLWINTER HAVEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLGEORGE W. JENKINS SENIOR HIGH
+12 more
School Profile
TypeAlternative Education School
LevelHigh
Grades06 – 12
Location—
CountyPolk County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictPOLK →
Phone: (863)419-3060
NCES ID: 120159008701
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in WINTER HAVEN seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing smaller class sizes and more individualized teacher access. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in POLK
High
RIDGE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
2,711 students · 09–12
● 37 opp48% FRL
High
HAINES CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,700 students · 09–12
● 42 opp58% FRL
High
WINTER HAVEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,467 students · 09–12
● 37 opp51% FRL
High
GEORGE W. JENKINS SENIOR HIGH
2,451 students · 09–12
● 41 opp37% FRL
High
DAVENPORT HIGH SCHOOL
2,333 students · 09–12
● 36 opp37% FRL
High
BARTOW SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,125 students · 09–12
● 36 opp44% FRL
High
LAKE GIBSON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,080 students · 09–12
● 36 opp49% FRL
High
KATHLEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2,051 students · 09–12
● 31 opp59% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
7700 STATE ROAD 544, WINTER HAVEN, FL 33881
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.