Enrollment
798
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cape Coral, FL
Cape Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cape Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120108001126
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cape Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #4 of 10
- schools in Cape Coral · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 43.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Cape Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cape Elementary School ranks #4 of 10 schools in Cape Coral, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cape Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cape Elementary School
Cape Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Cape Coral, Florida, enrolling 798 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 798 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 825 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #590, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (42%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 798 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students) and Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students) alongside Cape 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 Cape Elementary School compares
Cape 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.2% | ▼ 17% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 798 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
798
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 68% in Florida - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$10,788
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 798 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 48.5%
Hispanic or Latino 42.0%
African American 4.4%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.5, Cape 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 Lee, which includes Cape Elementary School.
$10,788
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 25.0%
Federal 17.0%
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 Cape Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Charter Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lehigh Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ida S. Baker High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lee County High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cape Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,192
- Students per teacher
- 51.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,550
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 31.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,191
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,129
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
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 (~798 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cape Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cape Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lee'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 Cape Elementary School
How many students attend Cape Elementary School?
Cape Elementary School has 798 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cape Coral, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cape Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cape Elementary School is 18.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cape Elementary School?
43.2% of students at Cape Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cape Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cape Elementary School is White at 48.5% of enrollment, in Cape Coral, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cape Elementary School?
Cape Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Cape Elementary School rank among schools in Cape Coral?
By Resource Investment Index, Cape Elementary School ranks #4 of 10 schools in Cape Coral, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cape Coral on the city page.
Is Cape Elementary School a good school?
Cape Elementary School earns 32/100 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 Lee?
Besides Cape Elementary School, Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students), Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students), and Gateway High School (2,343 students). See the Lee 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.