South County Career Center

Summary:

South County Career Center is an alternative public school in Ruskin, Florida, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 196 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.

South County Career Center faces significant challenges in terms of student academic performance, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The school has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic (48.98%) and African American (23.47%) students compared to the surrounding schools and the state average. However, its four-year graduation rates, ranging from 47.7% to 53.0% over the past five years, are significantly lower than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 51.8% to 78.6% over the past five years, which are much higher than the surrounding schools and the state average. Academically, South County Career Center students perform significantly below the state and district averages on all standardized tests, with only 9% of students proficient or better in Algebra 1 in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to 56% in the Hillsborough district and 55% statewide.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Eisenhower Middle School and Slam Academy at Apollo Beach, South County Career Center stands out as the lowest-performing school in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. For example, Slam Academy at Apollo Beach has significantly higher proficiency rates in Algebra 1 (64%), Geometry (33%), and Biology 1 (78%) compared to South County Career Center. Despite the relatively high per-student spending at South County Career Center, ranging from $13,403 to $16,202 over the past four years, and the lower student-teacher ratios, the school's academic performance remains significantly below the surrounding schools and the state averages.

Detail:

Public, Alternative PK, KG-12

2810 John Sherman Way
Ruskin, FL 33570

(813) 233-3335

District: Hillsborough

SchoolDigger Rank:
710^th of 807 Florida Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,403

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 196

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.0%

African American:

23.5%

White:

21.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73%

See top rated Florida elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details South County Career Center is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2021 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.03. (See more...)

Compare Details South County Career Center ranks worse than 88% of high schools in Florida. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.74. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South County 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 Student population at South County Career Center is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (49%), African American (23.5%), White (21.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South County Career Center is 16.3. 13 alternative schools in the Hillsborough School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare South County Career Center employs 12 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South County Career Center is $13,403. 11 alternative schools in the Hillsborough School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks South County Career Center 710^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See South County 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 South County Career Center

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	FL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	3.03	1132^nd	1136	0.4%

See the entire list of Florida Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for South County Career Center

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	2.30	476^th	484	1.7%
2009	4.94	556^th	587	5.3%
2010	3.36	601^st	620	3.1%
2013	1.74	642^nd	648	0.9%
2014	3.14	655^th	687	4.7%
2016	9.00	598^th	693	13.7%
2017	3.08	672^nd	714	5.9%
2018	5.30	631^st	716	11.9%
2019	2.04	707^th	734	3.7%
2021	3.91	689^th	746	7.6%
2022	2.51	741^st	774	4.3%
2023	7.05	682^nd	792	13.9%
2024	5.74	710^th	807	12.0%

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 South County Career Center

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	182	58	7	145	2	n/a	n/a	0	394
2003	182	58	7	145	2	n/a	n/a	0	394
2004	197	40	3	165	1	n/a	n/a	0	406
2005	224	33	1	147	2	n/a	n/a	0	407
2006	202	38	3	158	0	n/a	n/a	0	401
2007	165	30	1	142	1	n/a	n/a	5	344
2008	114	35	1	91	1	n/a	n/a	4	246
2009	98	52	1	138	1	n/a	n/a	3	293
2010	96	41	2	104	1	n/a	n/a	6	250
2011	86	36	1	150	2	0	3	0	278
2012	102	48	0	160	1	0	8	0	319
2013	103	36	0	132	1	0	7	0	279
2014	84	33	0	129	1	0	8	0	255
2015	91	46	0	151	1	0	6	0	295
2016	67	36	1	101	0	0	6	0	211
2017	58	30	1	87	1	0	9	0	186
2018	63	32	1	83	1	0	8	0	188
2019	54	31	1	92	0	0	9	0	187
2020	56	31	0	97	0	0	8	0	192
2021	54	39	1	111	0	0	12	0	217
2022	48	36	0	89	0	0	8	0	181
2023	43	46	1	96	1	0	9	0	196

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 South County Career Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	394	0.0	n/a	54.3
2003	394	0.0	n/a	54.3
2004	406	20.0	20.3	58.4
2005	407	21.0	19.4	60.7
2006	401	19.0	21.1	57.6
2007	344	16.0	21.5	58.1
2008	246	21.0	11.7	50.8
2009	293	20.0	15.4	66.9
2010	250	17.0	14.7	73.4
2011	278	14.5	19.1	79.5
2012	319	20.3	15.6	78.7
2013	279	22.0	12.6	79.2
2014	255	21.0	12.1	84.7
2015	295	25.0	11.8	84.4
2016	211	22.0	9.5	79.1
2017	186	20.0	9.3	77.4
2018	188	19.0	9.8	79.8
2019	187	16.0	11.6	79.1
2020	192	18.5	10.3	77.6
2021	217	18.0	12.0	86.6
2022	181	17.0	10.6	74.6
2023	196	12.0	16.3	73

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 South County Career Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	394	0.0	n/a	54.3
2003	394	0.0	n/a	54.3
2004	406	20.0	20.3	58.4
2005	407	21.0	19.4	60.7
2006	401	19.0	21.1	57.6
2007	344	16.0	21.5	58.1
2008	246	21.0	11.7	50.8
2009	293	20.0	15.4	66.9
2010	250	17.0	14.7	73.4
2011	278	14.5	19.1	79.5
2012	319	20.3	15.6	78.7
2013	279	22.0	12.6	79.2
2014	255	21.0	12.1	84.7
2015	295	25.0	11.8	84.4
2016	211	22.0	9.5	79.1
2017	186	20.0	9.3	77.4
2018	188	19.0	9.8	79.8
2019	187	16.0	11.6	79.1
2020	192	18.5	10.3	77.6
2021	217	18.0	12.0	86.6
2022	181	17.0	10.6	74.6
2023	196	12.0	16.3	73

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 South County Career Center

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,213 (8.1%)	$13,835 (91.9%)	$15,048
2019	$1,252 (7.8%)	$14,795 (92.2%)	$16,047
2020	$1,486 (9.2%)	$14,716 (90.8%)	$16,202
2021	$1,657 (11.6%)	$12,670 (88.4%)	$14,327
2022	$2,533 (16.9%)	$12,432 (83.1%)	$14,965
2023	$1,420 (10.6%)	$11,984 (89.4%)	$13,403

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South County 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 707^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 682^nd of 792 High schools	10.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (South County Career Center)	0	10	10%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	55	50	5%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (South County Career Center)	0	12	12%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Hillsborough)	53	49	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (South County Career Center)	11	23	12%
End of Course Biology 1 (Hillsborough)	67	62	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (South County Career Center)	19	10	9%
End of Course US History (Hillsborough)	73	65	8%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Geometry (South County Career Center)	0	0
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	187	196	4.8%
African American	31	46	48.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	92	96	4.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	54	43	20.4%
Two or More Races	9	9
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	79.1%	73%	6.2%

Schools Near South County 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
South County Career Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	2810 John Sherman Way	Ruskin	33570	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	No	No	No	(813) 233-3335	196	12	16.3	73.0%	43 (21.9%)	46 (23.5%)	96 (49.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.6%)								(n/a)							20.0	22.0									9.0	0.0	16.0	24.0		$13,403	$1,420	$11,984
Slam Academy At Apollo Beach	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	5150 N Us Hwy 41	Apollo Beach	33572	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	Yes	No	No	No	(813) 773-4560	1,157	60	19.2	59.6%	364 (31.5%)	213 (18.4%)	479 (41.4%)	14 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	83 (7.2%)								(n/a)	54.0	45.0	40.0	61.0	58.0	60.0	48.0	70.0	43.0	49.0	41.0	45.0	49.0	59.0	24.0	34.0	64.0	33.0	78.0		77.0	$7,246	$633	$6,613
Eisenhower Exceptional Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	7702 Old Big Bend Road	Gibsonton	33534	Hillsborough County	Hillsborough	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(813) 272-4000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Manatee Virtual Instruction Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1400 1st Ave E	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	Yes	No	(941) 708-4971	13	0		23.1%	2 (15.4%)	4 (30.8%)	3 (23.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (30.8%)								(n/a)
Manatee Virtual School ( Virtual Franchise)	Public, Virtual, Alternative	1-12	1400 1st Ave E	Palmetto	34221	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	Yes	No	(941) 708-4971	53	0		39.6%	36 (67.9%)	1 (1.9%)	11 (20.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (9.4%)								(n/a)																				80.0		$14,151	$981	$13,170
Pinellas Virtual K-12	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	14405 49th St N	Clearwater	33762	Pinellas County	Pinellas	No	No	Yes	No	(727) 588-6448	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hospital Homebound Instruction	Public, Alternative	K-12	1400 1st Ave E	Bradenton	34208	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 721-2300	0	2	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Horizons Academy	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	1910 27th St E	Bradenton	34208	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 714-7470	454	21	21.6	73.8%	94 (20.7%)	145 (31.9%)	200 (44.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.1%)								(n/a)		18.0	7.0	0.0	11.0	7.0	12.0	22.0		18.0	7.0	3.0	8.0	10.0	7.0	5.0	24.0	14.0	25.0	25.0	12.0	$11,468	$1,676	$9,792
Team Success A School Of Excellence	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	202 13th Ave E	Bradenton	34208	Manatee County	Manatee	Yes	No	No	Yes	(941) 714-7260	1,222	71	17.2	70.5%	38 (3.1%)	66 (5.4%)	1,111 (90.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.5%)								(n/a)	18.0	32.0	25.0	44.0	35.0	32.0	55.0	61.0	38.0	64.0	54.0	72.0	62.0	26.0	21.0	28.0	86.0	57.0	66.0	80.0	64.0	$10,040	$1,842	$8,198
Juvenile Detention Center	Public, Alternative	2-12	1803 5th St W	Bradenton	34205	Manatee County	Manatee	No	No	No	No	(941) 714-3445	61	2	30.5	4.9%	26 (42.6%)	27 (44.3%)	6 (9.8%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about South County Career Center

What district is South County Career Center in?

Hillsborough

Is South County Career Center a good school?

South County Career Center ranks in the bottom 12.0% of Florida alternative schools.

How many students attend South County Career Center?

In the 2022-23 school year, 196 students attended South County Career Center.

What is the racial makeup of South County Career Center?

Students at South County Career Center are 49% Hispanic, 23% African American, 22% White, 5% Two or more races.

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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.