Enrollment
162
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ocala, FL
Hillcrest
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120126001278
👥 S:T ratio 78
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 84
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Florida schools.
- #4 of 29
- schools in Ocala · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 5.4:1
- small classes for Florida
- 48.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest has class sizes smaller than 98% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest ranks #4 of 29 schools in Ocala, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-70% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest
Hillcrest is a small combined-grade school in Ocala, Florida, enrolling 162 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.4:1, Hillcrest is leaner than roughly 98% of Florida schools and 70% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.1% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 162 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 73 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #21.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 81 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students) and Forest High School (2,387 students) alongside Hillcrest.
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 Hillcrest compares
Hillcrest on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.4:1 | ▼ 70% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.1% | ▼ 7% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 162 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.4:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
162
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
5.4:1
students per teacher
- 70% below state mean
Top 2% in Florida - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.1%
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
$10,818
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 81 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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 45.7%
Hispanic or Latino 30.9%
African American 17.9%
Two or More 4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 45.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Hillcrest is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marion, which includes Hillcrest.
$10,818
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 43.3%
Federal 21.4%
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 Hillcrest Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Port High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vanguard High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,022
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,387
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,904
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,684
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
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 (~162 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest against another school. Compare schools
- Marion'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 Hillcrest
How many students attend Hillcrest?
Hillcrest has 162 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Ocala, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest is 5.4:1, which is 70% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 66% 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 Hillcrest?
48.1% of students at Hillcrest are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest is White at 45.7% of enrollment, in Ocala, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest?
Hillcrest has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Hillcrest rank among schools in Ocala?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest ranks #4 of 29 schools in Ocala, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ocala on the city page.
Is Hillcrest a good school?
Hillcrest earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% 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 Marion?
Besides Hillcrest, Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students), Forest High School (2,387 students), and Belleview High School (1,904 students). See the Marion 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.