Desoto County
Desoto County is a public school district based in Arcadia, Florida, serving 4,155 students in 8 schools. By enrollment it ranks #51 of the 66 Florida districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 23% of them. Its schools average 519 students each, about the same as the Florida median of 572. Its superintendent is Dr. Robert Bennett. It spends about $11,269 per student on day-to-day operations, 7% more than the Florida median. It has roughly 17.8 students per teacher.
How Desoto County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Desoto County | Florida median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $11,269 | $10,483 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,095 | $5,885 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $54.5 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $53.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 234 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 599 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 17.8 | 17.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 594 | 428 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Florida median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr. Robert Bennett
Source: Florida Department of Education, Superintendents, checked 2026-10-04. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Florida
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakulla CountyCrawfordville | 5,138 | 15 | $10,058 | 17.7 | #47 |
| Baker CountyMacclenny | 4,763 | 10 | $9,400 | 16.3 | #48 |
| Gadsden CountyQuincy | 4,633 | 17 | $12,304 | 16.8 | #49 |
| Hardee CountyWauchula | 4,547 | 11 | $9,797 | 17.2 | #50 |
| Desoto CountyArcadia · this district | 4,155 | 8 | $11,269 | 17.8 | #51 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrell ISDJarrell, TX | 4,157 | $10,230 | 15.9 |
| Tehachapi UnifiedTehachapi, CA | 4,156 | $11,615 | 23.2 |
| Lakeview Public Schools (Macomb)Saint Clair Shores, MI | 4,156 | $11,915 | 18.1 |
| East Greenbush Central School DistrictEast Greenbush, NY | 4,155 | $20,105 | 11.5 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-fl-desoto-county