Enrollment
1,126
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Poinciana, FL
Laurel Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Laurel Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159006951
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 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
Laurel Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Poinciana · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 50.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurel Elementary School has class sizes larger than 73% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Poinciana, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Laurel Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurel Elementary School
Laurel Elementary School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Poinciana, Florida, enrolling 1,126 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.4% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,126 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 707 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #658, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and African American (42%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1126 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Laurel 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 Laurel Elementary School compares
Laurel 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▼ 3% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,126 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,126
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Florida - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
63.5%
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
$11,454
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 1126 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 112 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 47.3%
African American 42.2%
White 7.1%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Laurel 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 Polk, which includes Laurel Elementary School.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 Laurel Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurel Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~1,126 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurel Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Laurel Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Polk'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 Laurel Elementary School
How many students attend Laurel Elementary School?
Laurel Elementary School has 1,126 students enrolled. It is a public school in Poinciana, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurel Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurel Elementary School is 19.4:1, which is 9% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Laurel Elementary School?
50.4% of students at Laurel Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurel Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Laurel Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 47.3% of enrollment, in Poinciana, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurel Elementary School?
Laurel Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Laurel Elementary School rank among public schools in Poinciana?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurel Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Poinciana, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Poinciana on the city page.
Is Laurel Elementary School a good school?
Laurel Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Polk?
Besides Laurel Elementary School, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk 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.