Enrollment
828
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake City, FL
Belmont Academy
Federal NCES profile for Belmont Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120036008184Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belmont Academy earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 12
- schools in Lake City · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Florida
- 34.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Belmont Academy has class sizes larger than 77% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Belmont Academy ranks #3 of 12 schools in Lake City, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belmont Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belmont Academy
Belmont Academy is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Lake City, Florida, enrolling 828 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 828 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 704 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #381.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 828 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 26.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Columbia also operates Columbia High School (1,711 students) and Fort White High School (1,101 students) alongside Belmont Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Belmont Academy compares
Belmont Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.8% | ▼ 33% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 828 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
828
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 77% in Florida - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,799
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 828 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 76.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 3.1%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.4, Belmont Academy is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia, which includes Belmont Academy.
$10,799
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 52.5%
Federal 26.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Belmont Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort White High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lake City Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westside Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastside Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belmont Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,711
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,101
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 809
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~828 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belmont Academy's federal record.
- Compare Belmont Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Belmont Academy
How many students attend Belmont Academy?
Belmont Academy has 828 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake City, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belmont Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Belmont Academy is 20.2:1, which is 13% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Belmont Academy?
34.8% of students at Belmont Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belmont Academy?
The largest demographic group at Belmont Academy is White at 76.6% of enrollment, in Lake City, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belmont Academy?
Belmont Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Belmont Academy rank among schools in Lake City?
By Resource Investment Index, Belmont Academy ranks #3 of 12 schools in Lake City, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lake City on the city page.
Is Belmont Academy a good school?
Belmont Academy earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Columbia?
Besides Belmont Academy, Columbia also operates Columbia High School (1,711 students), Fort White High School (1,101 students), and Lake City Middle School (809 students). See the Columbia district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.