SHIELDS MIDDLE SCHOOL

1,867 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

Shields Middle School, located in Ruskin, Florida, is part of the Hillsborough County Public Schools district. Serving the growing suburban community south of Tampa, the school provides a comprehensive educational program designed to support students during the critical middle school transition years. The campus is committed to fostering a supportive learning environment that emphasizes academic growth, student engagement, and the development of essential life skills.

As a public middle school, Shields focuses on meeting the diverse needs of its student body through a standard core curriculum complemented by various extracurricular activities, athletics, and elective options. The school places a strong emphasis on community involvement and maintains close ties with the district’s central administration to ensure alignment with state standards and technological integration in the classroom. Through its dedicated faculty and staff, the institution strives to prepare students for success in high school and beyond by promoting both academic excellence and personal character development.

1,867

Total Students

86.0

Full-Time Teachers

21.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

51.4%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for SHIELDS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Demographic	Student Count
White	248
Hispanic	1,052
Black	497
Asian	19
Two or More	46
American Indian	1
Pacific Islander	4

Hispanic
1,052 (56.3 %)
Black
497 (26.6 %)
White
248 (13.3 %)
Two or More
46 (2.5 %)
Asian
19 (1.0 %)
Pacific Islander
4 (0.2 %)
American Indian
1 (0.1 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	HILLSBOROUGH
Phone:	(813)672-5338
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	1,867
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	86.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	21.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	901
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	58

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 6 627

Grade 7 627

Grade 8 613