Enrollment
565
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palatka, FL
James a. Long Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for James a. Long Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120162001805
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 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
James a. Long Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Palatka · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.8:1
- students per teacher
- 62.9%
- free-lunch eligible
James a. Long Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Long Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Palatka, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James a. Long Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at James a. Long Elementary School
James a. Long Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Palatka, Florida, enrolling 565 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 565 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 992 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #908, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (37%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 565 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Putnam also operates Palatka Jr - Sr High School (1,568 students) and Middleton-Burney Elementary School (1,056 students) alongside James a. Long 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 James a. Long Elementary School compares
James a. Long 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.9% | ▲ 21% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 565 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
565
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Florida - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
57.3%
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
$11,305
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 565 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 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 52.0%
African American 36.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Two or More 5.1%
Largest group: White at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, James a. Long 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 Putnam, which includes James a. Long Elementary School.
$11,305
Per student
+1%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 44.0%
Federal 29.7%
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 James a. Long Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palatka Jr - Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Middleton-Burney Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Interlachen Jr-Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crescent City Jr-Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert H. Jenkins Jr Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James a. Long Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,056
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 844
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary 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 (~565 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James a. Long Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare James a. Long Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Putnam'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 James a. Long Elementary School
How many students attend James a. Long Elementary School?
James a. Long Elementary School has 565 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palatka, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James a. Long Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at James a. Long Elementary School is 18.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James a. Long Elementary School?
62.9% of students at James a. Long Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James a. Long Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at James a. Long Elementary School is White at 52.0% of enrollment, in Palatka, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James a. Long Elementary School?
James a. Long Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 James a. Long Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Palatka?
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Long Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Palatka, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Palatka on the city page.
Is James a. Long Elementary School a good school?
James a. Long Elementary School earns 24/100 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 Putnam?
Besides James a. Long Elementary School, Putnam also operates Palatka Jr - Sr High School (1,568 students), Middleton-Burney Elementary School (1,056 students), and Interlachen Jr-Sr High School (999 students). See the Putnam 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.