Enrollment
933
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chipley, FL
Kate M. Smith Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kate M. Smith Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120201002028
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kate M. Smith Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Chipley · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 57.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Kate M. Smith Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kate M. Smith Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Chipley, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kate M. Smith Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kate M. Smith Elementary School
Kate M. Smith Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Chipley, Florida, enrolling 933 students.
At 16.1:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.1% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 933 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 888 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #664, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 467 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Washington also operates Vernon Elementary School (621 students) and Chipley High School (563 students) alongside Kate M. Smith 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 Kate M. Smith Elementary School compares
Kate M. Smith 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.1% | ▲ 10% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 933 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
933
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 45% in Florida - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.4%
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
$10,910
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 467 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
95
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.3 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 67.6%
African American 17.7%
Two or More 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.2, Kate M. Smith 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 Washington, which includes Kate M. Smith Elementary School.
$10,910
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 53.9%
Federal 22.5%
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 Kate M. Smith Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chipley High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roulhac Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vernon High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vernon Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kate M. Smith Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 259
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~933 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kate M. Smith Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kate M. Smith Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Washington'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 Kate M. Smith Elementary School
How many students attend Kate M. Smith Elementary School?
Kate M. Smith Elementary School has 933 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chipley, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kate M. Smith Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kate M. Smith Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 10% 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 Kate M. Smith Elementary School?
57.1% of students at Kate M. Smith Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kate M. Smith Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kate M. Smith Elementary School is White at 67.6% of enrollment, in Chipley, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kate M. Smith Elementary School?
Kate M. Smith Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Kate M. Smith Elementary School rank among schools in Chipley?
By Resource Investment Index, Kate M. Smith Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Chipley, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chipley on the city page.
Is Kate M. Smith Elementary School a good school?
Kate M. Smith Elementary School earns 28/100 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 Washington?
Besides Kate M. Smith Elementary School, Washington also operates Vernon Elementary School (621 students), Chipley High School (563 students), and Roulhac Middle School (414 students). See the Washington 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.