Enrollment
540
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gainesville, FL
C. W. Norton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for C. W. Norton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120003000017
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
C. W. Norton Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #13 of 22
- schools in Gainesville · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 48.0%
- free-lunch eligible
C. W. Norton Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, C. W. Norton Elementary School ranks #13 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How C. W. Norton Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at C. W. Norton Elementary School
C. W. Norton Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gainesville, Florida, enrolling 540 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.0% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 540 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 727 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #411.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 540 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students) and Gainesville High School (1,825 students) alongside C. W. Norton Elementary School.
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 C. W. Norton Elementary School compares
C. W. Norton Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.0% | ▼ 8% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 540 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
540
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 38% in Florida - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,805
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 540 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 43.3%
African American 25.9%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 43.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.4, C. W. Norton Elementary School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alachua, which includes C. W. Norton Elementary School.
$10,805
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.3%
State 36.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 C. W. Norton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| F. W. Buchholz High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Kanapaha Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to C. W. Norton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,416
- Students per teacher
- 30.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,825
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 30.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,132
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,014
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~540 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on C. W. Norton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare C. W. Norton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Alachua'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 C. W. Norton Elementary School
How many students attend C. W. Norton Elementary School?
C. W. Norton Elementary School has 540 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gainesville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at C. W. Norton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at C. W. Norton Elementary School is 15.4:1, which is 13% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at C. W. Norton Elementary School?
48.0% of students at C. W. Norton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of C. W. Norton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at C. W. Norton Elementary School is White at 43.3% of enrollment, in Gainesville, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for C. W. Norton Elementary School?
C. W. Norton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does C. W. Norton Elementary School rank among schools in Gainesville?
By Resource Investment Index, C. W. Norton Elementary School ranks #13 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gainesville on the city page.
Is C. W. Norton Elementary School a good school?
C. W. Norton Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Alachua?
Besides C. W. Norton Elementary School, Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students), Gainesville High School (1,825 students), and Eastside High School (1,291 students). See the Alachua 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.