Enrollment
1,193
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cape Coral, FL
Gulf Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gulf Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120108002332
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gulf Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Florida schools.
- #8 of 10
- schools in Cape Coral · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Florida
- 38.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Gulf Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Elementary School ranks #8 of 10 schools in Cape Coral, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gulf Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gulf Elementary School
Gulf Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Cape Coral, Florida, enrolling 1,193 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,193 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 581 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #477, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1193 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students) and Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students) alongside Gulf 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 Elementary School compares
Gulf 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 | 21.3:1 | ▲ 20% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.2% | ▼ 27% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,193 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,193
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 82% in Florida - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.0%
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
$10,788
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 1193 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 53.8%
Hispanic or Latino 36.4%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 2.4%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 53.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Gulf 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 Lee, which includes Gulf Elementary School.
$10,788
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 25.0%
Federal 17.0%
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.
How Gulf Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Charter Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lehigh Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ida S. Baker High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lee County High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gulf Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,192
- Students per teacher
- 51.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,550
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 31.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,191
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,129
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
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 (~1,193 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gulf Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gulf Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lee'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 Elementary School
How many students attend Gulf Elementary School?
Gulf Elementary School has 1,193 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cape Coral, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gulf Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gulf Elementary School is 21.3:1, which is 20% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gulf Elementary School?
38.2% of students at Gulf Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gulf Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gulf Elementary School is White at 53.8% of enrollment, in Cape Coral, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gulf Elementary School?
Gulf 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 Gulf Elementary School rank among schools in Cape Coral?
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Elementary School ranks #8 of 10 schools in Cape Coral, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cape Coral on the city page.
Is Gulf Elementary School a good school?
Gulf Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Lee?
Besides Gulf Elementary School, Lee also operates Gateway Charter Elementary School (3,192 students), Lehigh Senior High School (2,550 students), and Gateway High School (2,343 students). See the Lee 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.