Enrollment
1,066
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cape Coral, FL
Diplomat Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Diplomat Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120108002833
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Diplomat Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 10
- schools in Cape Coral · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 55.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Diplomat Elementary School has class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Diplomat Elementary School ranks #3 of 10 schools in Cape Coral, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Diplomat Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Diplomat Elementary School
Diplomat Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cape Coral, Florida, enrolling 1,066 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.5% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,066 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 768 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #254.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (37%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1066 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Diplomat 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 Diplomat Elementary School compares
Diplomat 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.5% | ▲ 7% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,066 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,066
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Florida - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 1066 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 52.9%
White 37.1%
African American 4.8%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Diplomat 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 Diplomat 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 Diplomat Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Charter Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lehigh Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ida S. Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lee County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Diplomat 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 (~1,066 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Diplomat Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Diplomat 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 Diplomat Elementary School
How many students attend Diplomat Elementary School?
Diplomat Elementary School has 1,066 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cape Coral, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Diplomat Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Diplomat Elementary School is 19.4:1, which is 9% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Diplomat Elementary School?
55.5% of students at Diplomat Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Diplomat Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Diplomat Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 52.9% of enrollment, in Cape Coral, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Diplomat Elementary School?
Diplomat Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Diplomat Elementary School rank among schools in Cape Coral?
By Resource Investment Index, Diplomat Elementary School ranks #3 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 Diplomat Elementary School a good school?
Diplomat Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Lee?
Besides Diplomat 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.