The bulletin board for America's public schools. Parents, teachers, students, and staff. One community per school.
Schools›Florida›ARCADIA
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DESOTO·NCES 120042006813

DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL

318 N WILSON AVE, ARCADIA, FL 34266 · (863) 494-9303 · DeSoto County
GRADES KG–12COMBINED32-TOWNTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL51 STUDENTS
Enrollment
51
Combined
DISTRICT 19 · STATE 353
Student : Teacher
51.0:1
1 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 38.8:1 · STATE 17.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
53%
27 students
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 50%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other combined schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Grade 6
2
Grade 7
16
Grade 8
13
Grade 9
5
Grade 10
7
Grade 11
5
Grade 12
3
Student demographics
White
816%
DISTRICT 29% · STATE 33%
Hispanic
2549%
DISTRICT 54% · STATE 38%
Black
1529%
DISTRICT 13% · STATE 21%
Asian
12%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 3%
Two+
24%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 4%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
3263%
Female
1937%

Discussions

HotNewTop
+ POST
QUIET COMMUNITY
Be the first to start a discussion at DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL.
START A DISCUSSION
Recent discussions in DESOTO

Test scores

FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or Above
English Language Arts
19.2%
own-school result
Math
3.3%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Not computed for this school
BeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →

7-year change

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
51
-7 (-12%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
51.0:1
was 29.0:1
% White
16%
was 41%
% Hispanic
49%
was 31%
% Black
29%
was 22%
% Asian
2%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

About DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL

Located at 318 N WILSON AVE, in ARCADIA, Florida, DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL is a rural-scale multi-level school that caters to 51 students (grades K through 12), one of the schools within DESOTO. Compared to the state average of about 353 students per school, that is 86% leaner than typical.

DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL is one of 9 schools operated by DESOTO, a district that educates 4,171 students overall.

On demographics, DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL reports that 49% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school records 29% Black, 16% White, 4% multiracial. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 30%.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 1 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 51.0:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 17.7:1 average. Around 53% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

In the area at large, census data for DeSoto County shows the typical household earns roughly $54,417 per year, 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 19%. Across DeSoto County's 11 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,171 students), DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 0.3 miles away. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools.

The campus sits in a town-center setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL has declined 12%, going from 58 students in 2018 to 51 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 41% to 16% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 29.0:1 in 2018 to 51.0:1 today.

On allk12, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.

DeSoto County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
35,386
Census ACS
Median income
$54,417
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
11%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
19%
Below federal line
Schools in county
11
4,171 students

Quick facts

School name
DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL
District
DESOTO
Address
318 N WILSON AVE, ARCADIA, FL 34266
Phone
(863) 494-9303
County
DeSoto County
Level
Combined
Grade range
KG–12
Total enrollment
51
Teachers (FTE)
1
Student–teacher ratio
51.0:1
Free/Reduced lunch
27 (53%)
Locale
32-Town: Distant
NCES ID
120042006813
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in DESOTO
Other schools in ARCADIA
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL
How many students attend DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL?
DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 51 students in grades KG-12.
What grades does DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL serve?
DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL serves grades KG-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL is approximately 51.0:1 (1 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL?
Student demographics at DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL are roughly 16% White, 49% Hispanic, 29% Black, 2% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL in?
DESOTO SECONDARY SCHOOL is part of DESOTO.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
＋ Post