Enrollment
297
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 120162002530
Mellon Learning Center — Palatka, FL
Federal NCES profile for Mellon Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 18.3:1 Florida avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mellon Learning Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mellon Learning Center reports 297 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Florida state mean of 18.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 5% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 36.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 29% below the Florida average and 29% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Putnam spends $11,866 per pupil district-wide, below the Florida average of $12,756 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.3% from local sources (property taxes), 44.0% from the state, and 29.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mellon Learning Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Florida state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 18.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.7% | ▼ 29% | 52.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 297 | top 21% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
36.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 29% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 49% in Florida — lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,866
per pupil, district-wide
— below Florida avg of $12,756
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 297 Top 21% in Florida — larger than 79% of 4,029 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 16.7:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 36.7% -29% vs state
NCES ID 120162002530
Student demographics
White 44.8%
African American 41.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 44.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.6%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Putnam, which includes Mellon Learning Center.
$11,866
Per student
-7%
vs Florida
Avg $12,756
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,056
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Enrollment
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Enrollment
- 844
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
Similar other schools in Palatka
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mellon Learning Center
How many students attend Mellon Learning Center?
Mellon Learning Center has 297 students enrolled. It is a other school in PALATKA, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mellon Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Mellon Learning Center is 16.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Florida average of 18.3:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mellon Learning Center?
36.7% of students at Mellon Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mellon Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Mellon Learning Center is White at 44.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in PALATKA, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mellon Learning Center?
Mellon Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.