Enrollment
730
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hernando, FL
Hernando Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hernando Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120027002426
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hernando Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools.
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Florida
- 65.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 730
- students enrolled
Hernando Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hernando Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hernando Elementary School
Hernando Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hernando, Florida, enrolling 730 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 65.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 730 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 1,045 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #623.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 730 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Citrus also operates Lecanto High School (1,735 students) and Citrus High School (1,465 students) alongside Hernando 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 Hernando Elementary School compares
Hernando 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 | 65.3% | ▲ 26% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 730 | top 36% | - | - |
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.
730
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
36.7%
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
$10,865
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 730 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 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 72.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 5.2%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 72.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.6, Hernando Elementary School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Citrus, which includes Hernando Elementary School.
$10,865
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.1%
State 34.9%
Federal 24.9%
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 Hernando Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecanto High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Citrus High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crystal River High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Inverness Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crystal River Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hernando Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,465
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 911
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 906
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~730 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hernando Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hernando Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Citrus'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 Hernando Elementary School
How many students attend Hernando Elementary School?
Hernando Elementary School has 730 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hernando, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hernando Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hernando 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 Hernando Elementary School?
65.3% of students at Hernando Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hernando Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hernando Elementary School is White at 72.7% of enrollment, in Hernando, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hernando Elementary School?
Hernando Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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).
Is Hernando Elementary School a good school?
Hernando Elementary School earns 30/100 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 Citrus?
Besides Hernando Elementary School, Citrus also operates Lecanto High School (1,735 students), Citrus High School (1,465 students), and Crystal River High School (1,293 students). See the Citrus 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.