Enrollment
861
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arcadia, FL
Memorial Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Memorial Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120042000622
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Memorial Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 6
- schools in Arcadia · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Florida
- 77.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Memorial Elementary School has class sizes larger than 75% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Memorial Elementary School ranks #2 of 6 schools in Arcadia, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Memorial Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Memorial Elementary School
Memorial Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Arcadia, Florida, enrolling 861 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 77.2% of students qualify for free meals, 48% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 861 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.
Against 599 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #324.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (21%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 861 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.1% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Desoto also operates Desoto County High School (1,215 students) and Desoto Middle School (922 students) alongside Memorial 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 Memorial Elementary School compares
Memorial 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.2% | ▲ 48% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 861 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
861
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Florida - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.6%
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
$12,175
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 861 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 57.4%
White 20.7%
African American 17.9%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.4, Memorial 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 Desoto, which includes Memorial Elementary School.
$12,175
Per student
+9%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 47.5%
Federal 28.1%
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 Memorial Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desoto Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nocatee Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desoto Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Memorial Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,215
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 922
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 53
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- 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 (~861 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Memorial Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Memorial Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto'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 Memorial Elementary School
How many students attend Memorial Elementary School?
Memorial Elementary School has 861 students enrolled. It is a public school in Arcadia, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Memorial Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Memorial Elementary School is 19.6:1, which is 10% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Memorial Elementary School?
77.2% of students at Memorial Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Memorial Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Memorial Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment, in Arcadia, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Memorial Elementary School?
Memorial Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Memorial Elementary School rank among schools in Arcadia?
By Resource Investment Index, Memorial Elementary School ranks #2 of 6 schools in Arcadia, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Arcadia on the city page.
Is Memorial Elementary School a good school?
Memorial Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Desoto?
Besides Memorial Elementary School, Desoto also operates Desoto County High School (1,215 students), Desoto Middle School (922 students), and West Elementary School (622 students). See the Desoto 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.