Enrollment
298
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wauchula, FL
Hilltop Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hilltop Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120075004853
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilltop Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Wauchula · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 73.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilltop Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 schools in Wauchula, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilltop Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilltop Elementary School
Hilltop Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wauchula, Florida, enrolling 298 students.
At 16.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 298 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 294 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #173.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (20%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 298 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hardee also operates Hardee Senior High School (1,347 students) and Hardee Junior High School (958 students) alongside Hilltop 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 Hilltop Elementary School compares
Hilltop 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.4% | ▲ 41% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 298 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
298
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 51% in Florida - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.0%
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
$10,936
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 298 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: 1.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 71.5%
White 19.5%
African American 6.0%
Two or More 2.3%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.7, Hilltop 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 Hardee, which includes Hilltop Elementary School.
$10,936
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 50.7%
Federal 25.8%
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 Hilltop Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardee Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wauchula Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Wauchula Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Zolfo Springs Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilltop Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,347
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 958
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~298 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilltop Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hilltop Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hardee'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 Hilltop Elementary School
How many students attend Hilltop Elementary School?
Hilltop Elementary School has 298 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wauchula, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Elementary School is 16.6:1, which is 7% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 6% higher 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 Hilltop Elementary School?
73.4% of students at Hilltop Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hilltop Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hilltop Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment, in Wauchula, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilltop Elementary School?
Hilltop Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Hilltop Elementary School rank among schools in Wauchula?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 schools in Wauchula, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wauchula on the city page.
Is Hilltop Elementary School a good school?
Hilltop Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Hardee?
Besides Hilltop Elementary School, Hardee also operates Hardee Senior High School (1,347 students), Hardee Junior High School (958 students), and Wauchula Elementary School (577 students). See the Hardee 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.