Enrollment
106
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Spring Hill, FL
Gulf Coast Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gulf Coast Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120081008892Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gulf Coast Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Spring Hill · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 35.3:1
- large classes for Florida
- 25.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Gulf Coast Elementary School has class sizes larger than 97% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Coast Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Spring Hill, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
35.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+98% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gulf Coast Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gulf Coast Elementary School
Gulf Coast Elementary School is a small charter elementary school in Spring Hill, Florida, enrolling 106 students.
Class loads run heavy: 35.3:1 is larger than about 97% of Florida schools and 98% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 25.5% free-meal eligibility runs 51% below the Florida average.
Enrollment of 106 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
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 45 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #42, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 54/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hernando also operates Frank W. Springstead High School (1,853 students) and Winding Waters K-8 (1,613 students) alongside Gulf Coast 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 Gulf Coast Elementary School compares
Gulf Coast 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 | 35.3:1 | ▲ 98% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.5% | ▼ 51% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 106 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
35.3:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
106
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
35.3:1
students per teacher
- 98% above state mean
Top 97% in Florida - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$9,962
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 59.4%
Hispanic or Latino 32.1%
Two or More 6.6%
African American 1.9%
Largest group: White at 59.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Gulf Coast Elementary School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hernando, which includes Gulf Coast Elementary School.
$9,962
Per student
-11%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.9%
State 44.9%
Federal 15.1%
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 Gulf Coast Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank W. Springstead High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Winding Waters K-8 | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Explorer K-8 | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gulf Coast Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,853
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,613
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,544
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,444
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary 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 (~106 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~35.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gulf Coast Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gulf Coast Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hernando'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 Gulf Coast Elementary School
How many students attend Gulf Coast Elementary School?
Gulf Coast Elementary School has 106 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Spring Hill, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gulf Coast Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gulf Coast Elementary School is 35.3:1, which is 98% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 125% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gulf Coast Elementary School?
25.5% of students at Gulf Coast Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gulf Coast Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gulf Coast Elementary School is White at 59.4% of enrollment, in Spring Hill, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gulf Coast Elementary School?
Gulf Coast Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gulf Coast Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Spring Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Coast Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Spring Hill, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Spring Hill on the city page.
Is Gulf Coast Elementary School a good school?
Gulf Coast Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Hernando?
Besides Gulf Coast Elementary School, Hernando also operates Frank W. Springstead High School (1,853 students), Winding Waters K-8 (1,613 students), and Explorer K-8 (1,544 students). See the Hernando 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.