Enrollment
485
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sarasota, FL
Florine J Abel Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Florine J Abel Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120123002082
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Florine J Abel Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools.
- #26 of 26
- schools in Sarasota · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Florida
- 67.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Florine J Abel Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Florine J Abel Elementary School ranks #26 of 26 schools in Sarasota, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Florine J Abel Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Florine J Abel Elementary School
Florine J Abel Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sarasota, Florida, enrolling 485 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 485 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 852 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #599.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (22%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 485 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students) and Parrish Community High School (2,266 students) alongside Florine J Abel 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 Florine J Abel Elementary School compares
Florine J Abel 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.4% | ▲ 30% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 26% in Florida - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.7%
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
$10,900
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 485 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 52.6%
White 21.6%
African American 19.0%
Two or More 6.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.6, Florine J Abel 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 Manatee, which includes Florine J Abel Elementary School.
$10,900
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 25.8%
Federal 15.9%
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 Florine J Abel Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Ranch High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parrish Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmetto High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Florine J Abel Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,185
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~485 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Florine J Abel Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Florine J Abel Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Manatee'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 Florine J Abel Elementary School
How many students attend Florine J Abel Elementary School?
Florine J Abel Elementary School has 485 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sarasota, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Florine J Abel Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Florine J Abel Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 20% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 9% 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 Florine J Abel Elementary School?
67.4% of students at Florine J Abel Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Florine J Abel Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Florine J Abel Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 52.6% of enrollment, in Sarasota, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Florine J Abel Elementary School?
Florine J Abel Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Florine J Abel Elementary School rank among schools in Sarasota?
By Resource Investment Index, Florine J Abel Elementary School ranks #26 of 26 schools in Sarasota, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sarasota on the city page.
Is Florine J Abel Elementary School a good school?
Florine J Abel Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Manatee?
Besides Florine J Abel Elementary School, Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students), Parrish Community High School (2,266 students), and Palmetto High School (2,185 students). See the Manatee 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.