Enrollment
517
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pensacola, FL
Hellen Caro Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hellen Caro Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120051002746
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hellen Caro Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Florida schools.
- #6 of 39
- schools in Pensacola · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Florida
- 35.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hellen Caro Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 90% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hellen Caro Elementary School ranks #6 of 39 schools in Pensacola, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hellen Caro Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hellen Caro Elementary School
Hellen Caro Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Pensacola, Florida, enrolling 517 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.8:1, Hellen Caro Elementary School is leaner than roughly 90% of Florida schools and 34% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 517 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 437 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #35, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 259 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Escambia also operates J. M. Tate Senior High School (2,169 students) and Washington Senior High School (1,676 students) alongside Hellen Caro 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 Hellen Caro Elementary School compares
Hellen Caro 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 34% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.1% | ▼ 32% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 517 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
517
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 10% in Florida - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$10,794
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 259 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 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 61.5%
Hispanic or Latino 13.3%
Two or More 11.8%
African American 11.0%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Hellen Caro 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 Escambia, which includes Hellen Caro Elementary School.
$10,794
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 40.7%
Federal 20.6%
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 Hellen Caro Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. M. Tate Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Escambia High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Forest High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Florida High School/Technical | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hellen Caro Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,676
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,604
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,322
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~517 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hellen Caro Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hellen Caro Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Escambia'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 Hellen Caro Elementary School
How many students attend Hellen Caro Elementary School?
Hellen Caro Elementary School has 517 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pensacola, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hellen Caro Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hellen Caro Elementary School is 11.8:1, which is 34% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 25% 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 Hellen Caro Elementary School?
35.1% of students at Hellen Caro Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hellen Caro Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hellen Caro Elementary School is White at 61.5% of enrollment, in Pensacola, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hellen Caro Elementary School?
Hellen Caro Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Hellen Caro Elementary School rank among schools in Pensacola?
By Resource Investment Index, Hellen Caro Elementary School ranks #6 of 39 schools in Pensacola, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pensacola on the city page.
Is Hellen Caro Elementary School a good school?
Hellen Caro Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 Escambia?
Besides Hellen Caro Elementary School, Escambia also operates J. M. Tate Senior High School (2,169 students), Washington Senior High School (1,676 students), and Escambia High School (1,634 students). See the Escambia 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.