Simmons Career Center

Summary:

Simmons Career Center is an alternative public school in Plant City, Florida, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 181 students. The school is part of the Hillsborough School District, which is ranked 45th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Simmons Career Center stands out for its significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (60.22%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 3.33% to 36.67% Hispanic. The school has also seen fluctuations in its four-year graduation rate, ranging from 51.0% in 2018-2019 to 80.4% in 2021-2022, which is lower than the state and district averages. Additionally, Simmons Career Center has a very high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 54.4% to 78.5% over the past five years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which have rates ranging from 0.0% to 66.7%. Academically, the school consistently underperforms compared to the Hillsborough district and the state of Florida in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels, with only 0% proficiency in Algebra 1 in 2023-2024, compared to 56% for Hillsborough and 55% for Florida.

Simmons Career Center's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 81.77% to 90.73% over the past three years, is significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which range from 0.44% to 90%. The school also has a relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $12,414 to $14,815 over the past four years, higher than the surrounding schools, which range from $5,219 to $57,422 per student. These factors, combined with the school's challenges in student engagement and academic performance, suggest that a more tailored and innovative approach may be necessary to better serve the needs of the students and the community, perhaps drawing inspiration from alternative educational models like Coastal Connections Academy and Florida Connections Academy.

Detail:

Public, Alternative PK, KG-12

1202 W Grant St
Plant City, FL 33563

(813) 707-7430

District: Hillsborough

SchoolDigger Rank:
692^nd of 807 Florida Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,815

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 181

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.2%

White:

27.1%

African American:

9.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81.8%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Simmons Career Center ranks worse than 85.7% of high schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.36. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Simmons Career Center who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (60.2%), White (27.1%), African American (9.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 81.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Simmons Career Center is 12. 12 alternative schools in the Hillsborough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Simmons Career Center employs 15 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Simmons Career Center is $14,815, which is the 10^th highest among 8 alternative schools in the Hillsborough School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Simmons Career Center was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Simmons Career Center 692^nd of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Simmons Career Center in the ranking list.)

Hillsborough:

SchoolDigger ranks Hillsborough 45^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Simmons Career Center

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	1.95	478^th	484	1.2%
2009	5.02	555^th	587	5.5%
2010	3.30	603^rd	620	2.7%
2011	11.27	537^th	622	13.7%
2012	12.08	514^th	606	15.2%
2013	5.51	577^th	648	11.0%
2014	7.43	599^th	687	12.8%
2016	7.17	606^th	693	12.6%
2017	11.73	591^st	714	17.2%
2018	11.27	588^th	716	17.9%
2019	7.96	627^th	734	14.6%
2021	5.15	670^th	746	10.2%
2022	6.70	671^st	774	13.3%
2023	10.62	659^th	792	16.8%
2024	7.36	692^nd	807	14.3%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Simmons Career Center

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	43	3	0	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	76
2003	43	3	0	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	76
2004	61	13	0	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	101
2005	156	28	1	78	1	n/a	n/a	0	264
2006	167	29	3	87	4	n/a	n/a	0	290
2007	157	30	1	73	3	n/a	n/a	8	272
2008	123	31	1	86	1	n/a	n/a	5	247
2009	124	26	2	66	1	n/a	n/a	7	226
2010	128	19	0	81	0	n/a	n/a	5	233
2011	111	19	0	89	0	0	4	0	223
2012	119	16	0	98	1	0	4	0	238
2013	86	16	0	102	0	0	4	0	208
2014	78	19	0	74	1	0	2	0	174
2015	114	26	0	96	1	0	5	0	242
2016	80	21	0	88	2	0	4	0	195
2017	59	14	3	59	2	0	7	0	144
2018	84	27	1	72	2	0	11	0	197
2019	69	19	1	108	0	0	6	0	203
2020	63	22	3	127	0	0	7	0	222
2021	56	19	1	124	0	0	5	0	205
2022	60	14	0	112	2	0	1	0	189
2023	49	17	1	109	1	0	4	0	181

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Simmons Career Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	76	3.0	25.3	42.1
2003	76	3.0	25.3	42.1
2004	101	5.0	20.2	49.5
2005	264	11.0	24.0	68.2
2006	290	16.0	18.1	54.1
2007	272	12.0	22.7	52.3
2008	247	15.0	16.5	44.2
2009	226	14.8	16.1	62.6
2010	233	14.0	16.6	70.6
2011	223	14.0	15.9	75.3
2012	238	15.0	15.8	77.3
2013	208	16.0	13.0	76.4
2014	174	18.0	9.6	83.9
2015	242	17.0	14.2	81.4
2016	195	16.0	12.1	76.4
2017	144	16.0	9.0	74.3
2018	197	18.0	10.9	80.7
2019	203	19.0	10.6	81.8
2020	222	18.0	12.3	86
2021	205	18.0	11.3	90.7
2022	189	15.0	12.6	83.6
2023	181	15.0	12.0	81.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Simmons Career Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	76	3.0	25.3	42.1
2003	76	3.0	25.3	42.1
2004	101	5.0	20.2	49.5
2005	264	11.0	24.0	68.2
2006	290	16.0	18.1	54.1
2007	272	12.0	22.7	52.3
2008	247	15.0	16.5	44.2
2009	226	14.8	16.1	62.6
2010	233	14.0	16.6	70.6
2011	223	14.0	15.9	75.3
2012	238	15.0	15.8	77.3
2013	208	16.0	13.0	76.4
2014	174	18.0	9.6	83.9
2015	242	17.0	14.2	81.4
2016	195	16.0	12.1	76.4
2017	144	16.0	9.0	74.3
2018	197	18.0	10.9	80.7
2019	203	19.0	10.6	81.8
2020	222	18.0	12.3	86
2021	205	18.0	11.3	90.7
2022	189	15.0	12.6	83.6
2023	181	15.0	12.0	81.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Simmons Career Center

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$368 (3.0%)	$11,881 (97.0%)	$12,249
2019	$344 (2.6%)	$12,823 (97.4%)	$13,167
2020	$513 (4.1%)	$11,901 (95.9%)	$12,414
2021	$569 (4.2%)	$12,836 (95.8%)	$13,404
2022	$1,422 (10.9%)	$11,575 (89.1%)	$12,997
2023	$1,670 (11.3%)	$13,144 (88.7%)	$14,815

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Simmons Career Center

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 627^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 659^th of 792 High schools	2.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Simmons Career Center)	7	13	6%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	53	49	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course US History (Simmons Career Center)	35	33	2%
End of Course US History (Hillsborough)	73	65	8%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Simmons Career Center)	10	0	10%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Hillsborough)	63	60	3%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Simmons Career Center)	22	2	20%
End of Course Geometry (Hillsborough)	57	53	4%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	203	181	10.8%
African American	19	17	10.5%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	108	109	0.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	69	49	29%
Two or More Races	6	4	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81.8%	81.8%	0%

Schools Near Simmons Career Center

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				FAST English Language Arts (2024)								FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Simmons Career Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1202 W Grant St	Plant City	33563	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 707-7430	181	15	12.0	81.8%	49 (27.1%)	17 (9.4%)	109 (60.2%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)								(n/a)								29.0									0.0	14.0	10.0	31.0		$14,815	$1,670	$13,144
Simmons Exceptional Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	1202 W Grant St	Plant City	33563	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 707-7430	24	1	24.0	75.0%	10 (41.7%)	4 (16.7%)	8 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.3%)								(n/a)																						$35,200	$11,952	$23,249
Willis Peters Exceptional Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2919 Nelson Ave	Dover	33527	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 747-9462	58	16	3.6	41.4%	22 (37.9%)	10 (17.2%)	21 (36.2%)	3 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.4%)								(n/a)																						$53,053	$13,245	$39,808
Lopez Exceptional Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	315 W Old Hillsborough Ave	Seffner	33584	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	Yes	(813) 744-8008	49	13	3.7	42.9%	16 (32.7%)	17 (34.7%)	15 (30.6%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																						$57,422	$15,616	$41,806
The Spring	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1009 N Parsons Rd	Seffner	33584	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 651-2166	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hillsborough Girls Academy	Public, Alternative	4-12	9506 E Columbus Dr	Tampa	33619	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 630-4513	20	3	6.6	85.0%	5 (25.0%)	11 (55.0%)	4 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Lake Academy	Public, Alternative	4-12	9504 E Columbus Dr	Tampa	33619	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 840-7240	30	4	7.5	90.0%	11 (36.7%)	17 (56.7%)	1 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.3%)								(n/a)
Florida Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	13008 N Telecom Pkwy	Temple Terrace	33637	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	Yes	No	(813) 291-0550	5,126	142	36.0	46.6%	2,114 (41.2%)	938 (18.3%)	1,568 (30.6%)	106 (2.1%)	15 (0.3%)	22 (0.4%)	363 (7.1%)								(n/a)	42.0	40.0	40.0	53.0	49.0	48.0	52.0	47.0	26.0	30.0	17.0	30.0	41.0	38.0	28.0	35.0	28.0	25.0	58.0	55.0	51.0	$6,998	$1,194	$5,804
Polk Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	604 S. Central Ave	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 354-3999	42	0		7.1%	17 (40.5%)	8 (19.0%)	15 (35.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.8%)								(n/a)																		20.0				$5,472	$95	$5,377
Polk Full Time Eschool	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	604 S. Central Ave	Lakeland	33815	Polk County	Polk	No	No	Yes	No	(863) 354-3999	604	0		0.5%	256 (42.4%)	106 (17.5%)	211 (34.9%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.8%)								(n/a)	72.0	64.0	52.0	52.0	50.0	58.0	72.0	61.0	43.0	14.0	8.0	50.0	36.0	53.0	31.0	47.0	43.0	45.0	65.0	80.0	63.0	$12,638	$890	$11,748

Frequently Asked Questions about Simmons Career Center

What is the racial makeup of Simmons Career Center?

Students at Simmons Career Center are 60% Hispanic, 27% White, 9% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Is Simmons Career Center a good school?

Simmons Career Center ranks in the bottom 14.3% of Florida alternative schools.

What district is Simmons Career Center in?

Hillsborough

How many students attend Simmons Career Center?

In the 2022-23 school year, 181 students attended Simmons Career Center.

Rate Simmons Career Center!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.