Enrollment
627
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gainesville, FL
Idylwild Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Idylwild Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120003000024
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Idylwild Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Florida schools.
- #19 of 22
- schools in Gainesville · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 73.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Idylwild Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Idylwild Elementary School ranks #19 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Idylwild Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Idylwild Elementary School
Idylwild Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gainesville, Florida, enrolling 627 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.4:1 is larger than about 86% of Florida schools and 26% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 627 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 898 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #863, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 627 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students) and Gainesville High School (1,825 students) alongside Idylwild 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 Idylwild Elementary School compares
Idylwild 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 | 22.4:1 | ▲ 26% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.2% | ▲ 41% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 627 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
627
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.2%
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
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 86% in Florida - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
76.9%
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
$10,805
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 627 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 71 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 54.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
White 11.6%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 4.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.6, Idylwild 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 Alachua, which includes Idylwild Elementary School.
$10,805
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.3%
State 36.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 Idylwild Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| F. W. Buchholz High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Kanapaha Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Idylwild Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,416
- Students per teacher
- 30.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,825
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 30.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,132
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,014
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~627 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Idylwild Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Idylwild Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Alachua'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 Idylwild Elementary School
How many students attend Idylwild Elementary School?
Idylwild Elementary School has 627 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gainesville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Idylwild Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Idylwild Elementary School is 22.4:1, which is 26% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Idylwild Elementary School?
73.2% of students at Idylwild Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Idylwild Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Idylwild Elementary School is African American at 54.5% of enrollment, in Gainesville, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Idylwild Elementary School?
Idylwild Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Idylwild Elementary School rank among schools in Gainesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Idylwild Elementary School ranks #19 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gainesville on the city page.
Is Idylwild Elementary School a good school?
Idylwild Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Alachua?
Besides Idylwild Elementary School, Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students), Gainesville High School (1,825 students), and Eastside High School (1,291 students). See the Alachua 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.