Enrollment
498
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Homestead, FL
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Laura C. Saunders Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120039000452
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #6 of 19
- schools in Homestead · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 79.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laura C. Saunders Elementary School ranks #6 of 19 schools in Homestead, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laura C. Saunders Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laura C. Saunders Elementary School
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Homestead, Florida, enrolling 498 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 is high: 79.0% of students qualify for free meals, 52% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 498 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 650 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #165.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and African American (48%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 249 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% 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 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students) and Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students) alongside Laura C. Saunders 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 Laura C. Saunders Elementary School compares
Laura C. Saunders 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 | 79.0% | ▲ 52% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 498 | top 61% | - | - |
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.
498
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; 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
47.0%
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
$12,258
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 249 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 50.4%
African American 47.8%
White 1.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.7, Laura C. Saunders Elementary School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes Laura C. Saunders Elementary School.
$12,258
Per student
+10%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 23.3%
Federal 19.5%
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 Laura C. Saunders Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laura C. Saunders Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,291
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,399
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3,382
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,100
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,009
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~498 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laura C. Saunders Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Laura C. Saunders Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Miami-Dade'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 Laura C. Saunders Elementary School
How many students attend Laura C. Saunders Elementary School?
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School has 498 students enrolled. It is a public school in Homestead, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laura C. Saunders Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Laura C. Saunders 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 Laura C. Saunders Elementary School?
79.0% of students at Laura C. Saunders Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laura C. Saunders Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Laura C. Saunders Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 50.4% of enrollment, in Homestead, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laura C. Saunders Elementary School?
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Laura C. Saunders Elementary School rank among schools in Homestead?
By Resource Investment Index, Laura C. Saunders Elementary School ranks #6 of 19 schools in Homestead, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Homestead on the city page.
Is Laura C. Saunders Elementary School a good school?
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School earns 38/100 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 Miami-Dade?
Besides Laura C. Saunders Elementary School, Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students), Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students), and South Dade Senior High School (3,382 students). See the Miami-Dade 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.