Enrollment
696
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ocala, FL
Emerald Shores Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Emerald Shores Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120126002681
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerald Shores Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #25 of 29
- schools in Ocala · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.8:1
- students per teacher
- 69.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerald Shores Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerald Shores Elementary School ranks #25 of 29 schools in Ocala, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerald Shores Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerald Shores Elementary School
Emerald Shores Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ocala, Florida, enrolling 696 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 696 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 983 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #865, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 696 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students) and Forest High School (2,387 students) alongside Emerald Shores 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 Emerald Shores Elementary School compares
Emerald Shores 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.4% | ▲ 33% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 696 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
696
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Florida - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.8%
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
$10,818
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 696 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
64
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.8 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 37.6%
Hispanic or Latino 27.9%
African American 25.6%
Two or More 7.6%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 37.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Emerald Shores 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 Marion, which includes Emerald Shores Elementary School.
$10,818
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 43.3%
Federal 21.4%
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 Emerald Shores Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Port High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vanguard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emerald Shores Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,022
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,387
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,904
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,684
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
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 (~696 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerald Shores Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Emerald Shores Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Marion'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 Emerald Shores Elementary School
How many students attend Emerald Shores Elementary School?
Emerald Shores Elementary School has 696 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ocala, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerald Shores Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerald Shores Elementary School is 18.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Emerald Shores Elementary School?
69.4% of students at Emerald Shores Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerald Shores Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Emerald Shores Elementary School is White at 37.6% of enrollment, in Ocala, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerald Shores Elementary School?
Emerald Shores Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Emerald Shores Elementary School rank among schools in Ocala?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerald Shores Elementary School ranks #25 of 29 schools in Ocala, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ocala on the city page.
Is Emerald Shores Elementary School a good school?
Emerald Shores Elementary School earns 24/100 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 Marion?
Besides Emerald Shores Elementary School, Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students), Forest High School (2,387 students), and Belleview High School (1,904 students). See the Marion 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.