Enrollment
529
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Riviera Beach, FL
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120150004410
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #7 of 8
- schools in Riviera Beach · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 87.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary ranks #7 of 8 schools in Riviera Beach, FL.
School address
District: Palm Beach · Florida
NCES ID 120150004410 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Riviera Beach, Florida, enrolling 529 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 87.4% of students qualify for free meals, 68% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 529 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 389 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #377, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 529 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students) and Jupiter High School (3,122 students) alongside Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary.
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 Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary compares
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.4% | ▲ 68% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 529 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
529
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 40% in Florida - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
60.7%
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
$12,727
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 529 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 75 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 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
African American 86.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
White 5.1%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 86.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.0, Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palm Beach, which includes Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary.
$12,727
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 21.7%
Federal 15.3%
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 Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John I. Leonard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jupiter High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Vista Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boca Raton Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palm Beach Lakes High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,262
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,122
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,819
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~529 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Beach'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 Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary
How many students attend Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary?
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary has 529 students enrolled. It is a public school in Riviera Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 1% 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 Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary?
87.4% of students at Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary is African American at 86.8% of enrollment, in Riviera Beach, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary?
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower 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 Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary rank among schools in Riviera Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary ranks #7 of 8 schools in Riviera Beach, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Riviera Beach on the city page.
Is Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary a good school?
Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Palm Beach?
Besides Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Elementary, Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students), Jupiter High School (3,122 students), and Park Vista Community High School (2,881 students). See the Palm Beach 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.