Enrollment
762
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Niceville, FL
James E Plew Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for James E Plew Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120138001346
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James E Plew Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Niceville · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 22.8%
- free-lunch eligible
James E Plew Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James E Plew Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Niceville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James E Plew Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at James E Plew Elementary School
James E Plew Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Niceville, Florida, enrolling 762 students.
At 16.2:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.8% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the Florida average.
Enrollment of 762 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 463 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #182.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 762 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Okaloosa also operates Crestview High School (2,376 students) and Niceville Senior High School (2,036 students) alongside James E Plew 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 E Plew Elementary School compares
James E Plew 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.8% | ▼ 56% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 762 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
762
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 47% in Florida - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,590
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 762 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 73.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 10.6%
African American 2.8%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 73.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.0, James E Plew 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 Okaloosa, which includes James E Plew Elementary School.
$10,590
Per student
-5%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.0%
State 37.4%
Federal 19.6%
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 E Plew Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Niceville Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Choctawhatchee Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Walton Beach High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Baker School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James E Plew Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,376
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,036
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,550
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~762 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James E Plew Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare James E Plew Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Okaloosa'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 E Plew Elementary School
How many students attend James E Plew Elementary School?
James E Plew Elementary School has 762 students enrolled. It is a public school in Niceville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James E Plew Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at James E Plew Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 9% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 3% 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 James E Plew Elementary School?
22.8% of students at James E Plew Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James E Plew Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at James E Plew Elementary School is White at 73.1% of enrollment, in Niceville, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James E Plew Elementary School?
James E Plew Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 James E Plew Elementary School rank among schools in Niceville?
By Resource Investment Index, James E Plew Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Niceville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Niceville on the city page.
Is James E Plew Elementary School a good school?
James E Plew Elementary School earns 43/100 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 Okaloosa?
Besides James E Plew Elementary School, Okaloosa also operates Crestview High School (2,376 students), Niceville Senior High School (2,036 students), and Choctawhatchee Senior High School (1,720 students). See the Okaloosa 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.