Enrollment
619
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Orlando, FL
Hiawassee Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hiawassee Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120144001423
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hiawassee Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #74 of 128
- schools in Orlando · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Florida
- 76.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hiawassee Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hiawassee Elementary ranks #74 of 128 schools in Orlando, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hiawassee Elementary compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hiawassee Elementary
Hiawassee Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Orlando, Florida, enrolling 619 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 76.1% of students qualify for free meals, 46% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 619 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 811 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #464.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 619 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students) and Timber Creek High (3,383 students) alongside Hiawassee Elementary.
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 Hiawassee Elementary compares
Hiawassee Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.3:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.1% | ▲ 46% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 619 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
619
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in Florida - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.1%
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
$11,578
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 619 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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
African American 85.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
White 2.6%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 85.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.7, Hiawassee Elementary is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange, which includes Hiawassee Elementary.
$11,578
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.2%
State 28.8%
Federal 18.0%
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 Hiawassee Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apopka High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timber Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Winter Park High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colonial High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Windermere High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hiawassee Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,446
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 3,383
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,277
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,239
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 3,217
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~619 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hiawassee Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hiawassee Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Orange'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 Hiawassee Elementary
How many students attend Hiawassee Elementary?
Hiawassee Elementary has 619 students enrolled. It is a public school in Orlando, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hiawassee Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hiawassee Elementary is 19.3:1, which is 8% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hiawassee Elementary?
76.1% of students at Hiawassee Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hiawassee Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hiawassee Elementary is African American at 85.0% of enrollment, in Orlando, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hiawassee Elementary?
Hiawassee Elementary 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).
How does Hiawassee Elementary rank among schools in Orlando?
By Resource Investment Index, Hiawassee Elementary ranks #74 of 128 schools in Orlando, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Orlando on the city page.
Is Hiawassee Elementary a good school?
Hiawassee Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Orange?
Besides Hiawassee Elementary, Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students), Timber Creek High (3,383 students), and Winter Park High (3,277 students). See the Orange 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.