Riverdale High School

Q: Is Riverdale High School a good school?

Riverdale High School ranks 456 th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Riverdale High School is a public high school located in Fort Myers, Florida, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,880 students. The school is part of the Lee District, which is ranked 50 out of 68 districts in Florida and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Riverdale High School has a more diverse student population compared to the surrounding schools, with a higher percentage of Hispanic students (45.11%) and a lower percentage of African American students (7.93%). The school has consistently maintained a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 92.9% to 96.3% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools like Success Academy and Young Parent Education Program. However, Riverdale High School has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 13.9% in 2019-2020 to 48.5% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the surrounding schools.

Riverdale High School's test scores, particularly in Algebra 1, Geometry, and English Language Arts, are generally lower than the Lee District and Florida state averages, indicating room for improvement in academic performance. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, but it has generally declined, dropping from a ranking of 303 out of 716 Florida high schools in 2017-2018 to 456 out of 807 in 2023-2024. While Riverdale High School performs better than some lower-performing schools in the area, it lags behind the higher-performing schools, like Gateway High School, in areas such as test scores and graduation rates.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2600 Buckingham Rd
Fort Myers, FL 33905

(239) 694-4141

District: Lee

SchoolDigger Rank:
456^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,229

Feeder schools for Riverdale High School:

Elementary:	Bayshore Elementary School
	Edgewood Academy
	G. Weaver Hipps Elementary School
	Gateway Elementary School
	More...
	Harns Marsh Elementary School
	James Stephens Elementary School
	Lehigh Elementary School
	Manatee Elementary School
	Mirror Lakes Elementary School
	Orange River Elementary School
	River Hall Elementary School
	Sunshine Elementary School
	The Alva School
	Tice Elementary School
	Tortuga Preserve Elementary School
	Treeline Elementary School
	Veterans Park Academy For The Arts
Middle:	Harns Marsh Middle School
	Lehigh Acres Middle School
	Oak Hammock Middle School
	Varsity Lakes Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 29.0

Number of students: 1,870

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.4%

White:

42.5%

African American:

7.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.1%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Riverdale High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Riverdale High School ranks worse than 56.5% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 9^th among 26 ranked high schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.64. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Riverdale High School 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 (46.4%), White (42.5%), African American (7.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Riverdale High School is 29. 22 high schools in the Lee School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Riverdale High School employs 64.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Riverdale High School is $8,229. 19 high schools in the Lee School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Riverdale High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Riverdale High School 456^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Riverdale High School in the ranking list.)

Lee:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee 50^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Riverdale High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	51.98	257^th	484	46.9%
2005	37.75	332^nd	487	31.8%
2006	39.55	319^th	477	33.1%
2007	48.57	301^st	563	46.5%
2008	59.41	239^th	577	58.6%
2009	63.99	215^th	587	63.4%
2010	63.16	235^th	620	62.1%
2011	58.83	278^th	622	55.3%
2012	50.48	234^th	606	61.4%
2013	48.38	299^th	648	53.9%
2014	46.30	357^th	687	48.0%
2016	45.32	324^th	693	53.2%
2017	40.67	366^th	714	48.7%
2018	48.16	303^rd	716	57.7%
2019	35.16	438^th	734	40.3%
2021	31.82	457^th	746	38.7%
2022	32.91	469^th	774	39.4%
2023	42.51	365^th	792	53.9%
2024	36.64	456^th	807	43.5%

See the entire list of Florida High 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 Riverdale High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1507	277	21	204	4	n/a	n/a	0	2013
1989	1509	291	29	218	5	n/a	n/a	0	2052
1990	1409	261	23	207	2	n/a	n/a	0	1902
1991	1341	209	17	185	4	n/a	n/a	0	1756
1992	1331	224	13	185	11	n/a	n/a	0	1764
1993	1325	243	14	225	7	n/a	n/a	0	1814
1994	1374	244	19	225	4	n/a	n/a	0	1866
1995	763	202	15	156	2	n/a	n/a	0	1138
1996	763	202	15	156	2	n/a	n/a	0	1138
1997	780	210	27	187	1	n/a	n/a	0	1205
1998	810	237	30	186	0	n/a	n/a	0	1263
1999	831	202	23	203	2	n/a	n/a	0	1261
2000	980	228	20	247	2	n/a	n/a	0	1477
2001	1063	190	20	282	2	n/a	n/a	0	1557
2002	1219	167	18	326	6	n/a	n/a	0	1736
2003	1219	167	18	326	6	n/a	n/a	0	1736
2004	1341	154	28	412	6	n/a	n/a	0	1941
2005	1421	153	26	407	5	n/a	n/a	0	2012
2006	1449	147	29	457	6	n/a	n/a	0	2088
2007	1377	172	40	478	6	n/a	n/a	16	2089
2008	1357	180	34	492	7	n/a	n/a	27	2097
2009	1109	136	32	370	5	n/a	n/a	16	1668
2010	1088	126	24	365	5	n/a	n/a	9	1617
2011	1131	122	21	337	5	0	18	0	1634
2012	1234	133	25	409	4	1	19	0	1825
2013	1307	150	30	469	4	0	28	0	1988
2014	1260	147	31	466	4	1	33	0	1942
2015	1247	166	33	557	4	1	36	0	2044
2016	1191	195	44	570	6	1	51	0	2058
2017	1200	224	41	644	7	2	49	0	2167
2018	1189	237	46	776	5	3	54	0	2310
2019	1118	242	49	846	6	2	53	0	2316
2020	1046	255	45	921	7	2	53	0	2329
2021	911	235	47	916	3	2	48	0	2162
2022	880	202	42	934	5	2	38	0	2103
2023	820	149	26	848	5	2	30	0	1880
2024	795	142	22	867	3	2	39	0	1870

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 Riverdale High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2013	89.0	22.6	23.3
1989	2052	103.0	19.9	22.3
1990	1902	106.0	17.9	22.1
1991	1756	92.0	19.0	17.3
1992	1764	87.0	20.2	18.7
1993	1814	79.0	23.0	19.2
1994	1866	86.0	21.7	21.7
1995	1138	55.0	20.7	23.6
1996	1138	55.0	20.7	23.6
1997	1205	56.0	21.5	17.4
1998	1263	63.0	20.0	20.3
1999	1261	65.0	19.4	26.9
2000	1477	74.0	20.0	27.5
2001	1557	72.0	21.6	28.3
2002	1736	80.0	21.7	37.3
2003	1736	80.0	21.7	37.3
2004	1941	94.0	20.6	40.6
2005	2012	95.0	21.2	41.4
2006	2088	106.0	19.7	38.6
2007	2089	106.0	19.7	34.7
2008	2097	111.0	18.9	38.6
2009	1668	91.2	18.5	44.6
2010	1617	81.0	19.9	51.1
2011	1634	80.5	20.2	51.5
2012	1825	89.3	20.4	52.7
2013	1988	98.0	20.2	54.9
2014	1942	100.0	19.4	52.8
2015	2044	99.0	20.6	56.2
2016	2058	100.0	20.5	40.1
2017	2167	102.0	21.2	38.7
2018	2310	107.0	21.5	43.2
2019	2316	106.8	21.6	37.9
2020	2329	105.3	22.1	38.7
2021	2162	91.8	23.5	41.6
2022	2103	84.5	24.8	43.7
2023	1880	72.8	25.8	46.7
2024	1870	64.3	29.0	48.1

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 Riverdale High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2013	89.0	22.6	23.3
1989	2052	103.0	19.9	22.3
1990	1902	106.0	17.9	22.1
1991	1756	92.0	19.0	17.3
1992	1764	87.0	20.2	18.7
1993	1814	79.0	23.0	19.2
1994	1866	86.0	21.7	21.7
1995	1138	55.0	20.7	23.6
1996	1138	55.0	20.7	23.6
1997	1205	56.0	21.5	17.4
1998	1263	63.0	20.0	20.3
1999	1261	65.0	19.4	26.9
2000	1477	74.0	20.0	27.5
2001	1557	72.0	21.6	28.3
2002	1736	80.0	21.7	37.3
2003	1736	80.0	21.7	37.3
2004	1941	94.0	20.6	40.6
2005	2012	95.0	21.2	41.4
2006	2088	106.0	19.7	38.6
2007	2089	106.0	19.7	34.7
2008	2097	111.0	18.9	38.6
2009	1668	91.2	18.5	44.6
2010	1617	81.0	19.9	51.1
2011	1634	80.5	20.2	51.5
2012	1825	89.3	20.4	52.7
2013	1988	98.0	20.2	54.9
2014	1942	100.0	19.4	52.8
2015	2044	99.0	20.6	56.2
2016	2058	100.0	20.5	40.1
2017	2167	102.0	21.2	38.7
2018	2310	107.0	21.5	43.2
2019	2316	106.8	21.6	37.9
2020	2329	105.3	22.1	38.7
2021	2162	91.8	23.5	41.6
2022	2103	84.5	24.8	43.7
2023	1880	72.8	25.8	46.7
2024	1870	64.3	29.0	48.1

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 Riverdale High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$345 (5.6%)	$5,766 (94.4%)	$6,111
2019	$269 (4.1%)	$6,256 (95.9%)	$6,525
2020	$274 (4.4%)	$5,911 (95.6%)	$6,186
2021	$377 (6.0%)	$5,940 (94.0%)	$6,318
2022	$1,150 (16.2%)	$5,968 (83.9%)	$7,117
2023	$1,313 (16.0%)	$6,917 (84.1%)	$8,229

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Riverdale High School

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 438^th of 734 High schools	Ranks 365^th of 792 High schools	13.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Riverdale High School)	49	45	4%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	51	50	1%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Riverdale High School)	46	47	1%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	48	44	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Riverdale High School)	58	60	2%
End of Course Biology 1 (Lee)	56	51	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Riverdale High School)	57	61	4%
End of Course US History (Lee)	64	54	10%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Riverdale High School)	25	22	3%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Lee)	60	48	12%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Riverdale High School)	41	26	15%
End of Course Geometry (Lee)	50	41	9%
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	2316	1880	18.8%
African American	242	149	38.4%
American Indian	6	5	16.7%
Asian	49	26	46.9%
Hispanic	846	848	0.2%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	1118	820	26.7%
Two or More Races	53	30	43.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.9%	46.7%	8.8%

Schools Near Riverdale High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th 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
Riverdale High School	Public	9-12	2600 Buckingham Rd	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 694-4141	1,870	64	29.0	48.1%	795 (42.5%)	142 (7.6%)	867 (46.4%)	22 (1.2%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	39 (2.1%)	36.6	456^th of 807 public high schools	43.5%		42.5	365^th of 792 public high schools	53.9%	91				48.0	51.0					28.0	50.0	52.0	56.0		$8,229	$1,313	$6,917
Lehigh Senior High School	Public	9-12	901 Gunnery Rd N	Lehigh Acres	33971	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 693-5353	2,509	102	24.7	62.6%	266 (10.6%)	698 (27.8%)	1,437 (57.3%)	32 (1.3%)	5 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	70 (2.8%)	28.7	557^th of 807 public high schools	31.0%		28.4	520^th of 792 public high schools	34.3%	37				44.0	44.0					20.0	35.0	48.0	53.0		$9,035	$1,804	$7,232
Palm Acres Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	507 Sunshine Blvd N	Lehigh Acres	33971	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 333-3300	280	5	56.0	26.4%	46 (16.4%)	48 (17.1%)	178 (63.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	11.9	669^th of 807 public high schools	17.1%		15.3	639^th of 792 public high schools	19.3%	30				23.0	28.0								11.0		$6,866	$320	$6,546
Southwest Florida Juvenile Detention Center	Public	5-12	2525 Ortiz Ave	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 332-6927	52	4	14.8	34.6%	20 (38.5%)	17 (32.7%)	13 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.8%)								(n/a)
Fort Myers Academy	Public	6-12	2515 Ortiz Avenue	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(239) 334-1102	18	1	18.0		5 (27.8%)	10 (55.6%)	1 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.1%)								(n/a)
Fort Myers Technical College	Public	9-12	3800 Michigan Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 334-4544	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Gateway High School	Public	9-12	13820 Griffin Dr	Fort Myers	33913	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 303-7480	2,312	81	28.7	52.2%	521 (22.5%)	473 (20.5%)	1,212 (52.4%)	36 (1.6%)	3 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	65 (2.8%)	41.2	407^th of 807 public high schools	49.6%		43.2	357^th of 792 public high schools	54.9%	50				57.0	55.0					13.0	41.0	55.0	60.0		$7,677	$1,541	$6,137
Success Academy	Public	6-12	3650 Michigan Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 334-3416	98	14	7.0	76.5%	20 (20.4%)	29 (29.6%)	46 (46.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)	2.9	764^th of 807 public high schools	5.3%		2.4	776^th of 792 public high schools	2.0%	12	9.0	12.0	5.0	12.0	16.0	0.0	6.0	10.0	8.0	0.0	4.0	9.0	0.0	16.0
Young Parent Education Program	Public	6-12	3650 Michigan Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 332-2526	58	8	7.4	41.4%	7 (12.1%)	8 (13.8%)	43 (74.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2	791^st of 807 public high schools	2.0%		21	594^th of 792 public high schools	25.0%	197					7.0								0.0		$41,603	$6,402	$35,199
Dunbar High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	3800 E Edison Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	Yes	(239) 461-5322	1,762	81	21.8	56.9%	157 (8.9%)	538 (30.5%)	1,002 (56.9%)	24 (1.4%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (2.2%)	23.3	608^th of 807 public high schools	24.7%		16	635^th of 792 public high schools	19.8%	27				39.0	34.0					27.0	34.0	42.0	50.0		$9,908	$2,067	$7,840

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverdale High School

Is Riverdale High School a good school?

Riverdale High School ranks 456^th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Riverdale High School in?

Lee

How many students attend Riverdale High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,870 students attended Riverdale High School.

What is the racial makeup of Riverdale High School?

Students at Riverdale High School are 46% Hispanic, 43% White, 8% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Riverdale High School?

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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.