Enrollment
817
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 120159001731
Fred G. Garner Elementary School — Winter Haven, FL
Federal NCES profile for Fred G. Garner Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 18.3:1 Florida avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fred G. Garner Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Fred G. Garner Elementary School reports 817 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 54.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Florida state mean of 18.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 5% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 61.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 19% above the Florida average and 19% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 59.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Polk spends $12,580 per pupil district-wide, below the Florida average of $12,756 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.2% from local sources (property taxes), 43.8% from the state, and 21.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Fred G. Garner Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Florida state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 18.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.7% | ▲ 19% | 52.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 817 | top 71% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
61.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 19% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 49% in Florida — lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,580
per pupil, district-wide
— below Florida avg of $12,756
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 103 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 817 Top 71% in Florida — larger than 29% of 4,029 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 54.0
Students per teacher 16.7:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 61.7% +19% vs state
NCES ID 120159001731
Student demographics
African American 42.8%
Hispanic or Latino 36.7%
White 16.3%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 42.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 59.9%
In-school suspensions 7
Out-of-school suspensions 103
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Fred G. Garner Elementary School.
$12,580
Per student
-1%
vs Florida
Avg $12,756
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
Similar other schools in Winter Haven
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Chain of Lakes Elementary School
Standard public school
1,007 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
New Beginnings High School
Alternative education program
997 students 75.3:1 students per teacher
Jewett School of the Arts
Standard public school
746 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Garden Grove Elementary School
Standard public school
652 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Lake Shipp Elementary School
Standard public school
576 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Elbert Elementary School
Standard public school
549 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Fred G. Garner Elementary School
How many students attend Fred G. Garner Elementary School?
Fred G. Garner Elementary School has 817 students enrolled. It is a other school in WINTER HAVEN, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fred G. Garner Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fred G. Garner Elementary School is 16.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Florida average of 18.3:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fred G. Garner Elementary School?
61.7% of students at Fred G. Garner Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fred G. Garner Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Fred G. Garner Elementary School is African American at 42.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in WINTER HAVEN, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fred G. Garner Elementary School?
Fred G. Garner Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.