Enrollment
515
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Largo, FL
Mildred Helms Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mildred Helms Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120156001644
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mildred Helms Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Florida schools.
- #7 of 9
- schools in Largo · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for Florida
- 59.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Mildred Helms Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 87% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mildred Helms Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in Largo, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mildred Helms Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mildred Helms Elementary School
Mildred Helms Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Largo, Florida, enrolling 515 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.6:1, Mildred Helms Elementary School is leaner than roughly 87% of Florida schools and 29% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.3% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 515 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 884 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #462.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 515 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pinellas also operates Palm Harbor University High (2,413 students) and Largo High School (2,058 students) alongside Mildred Helms 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 Mildred Helms Elementary School compares
Mildred Helms 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 29% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.3% | ▲ 14% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 515 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
515
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 13% in Florida - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.0%
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
$11,582
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 515 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 44.1%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
African American 18.8%
Two or More 9.9%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 44.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.6, Mildred Helms 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 Pinellas, which includes Mildred Helms Elementary School.
$11,582
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.7%
State 25.1%
Federal 18.3%
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 Mildred Helms Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Harbor University High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Largo High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lake High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie M. Hollins High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Petersburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mildred Helms Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,413
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,058
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,934
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,736
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~515 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mildred Helms Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mildred Helms Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pinellas'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 Mildred Helms Elementary School
How many students attend Mildred Helms Elementary School?
Mildred Helms Elementary School has 515 students enrolled. It is a public school in Largo, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mildred Helms Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mildred Helms Elementary School is 12.6:1, which is 29% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 20% lower 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 Mildred Helms Elementary School?
59.3% of students at Mildred Helms Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mildred Helms Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mildred Helms Elementary School is White at 44.1% of enrollment, in Largo, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mildred Helms Elementary School?
Mildred Helms Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Mildred Helms Elementary School rank among schools in Largo?
By Resource Investment Index, Mildred Helms Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in Largo, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Largo on the city page.
Is Mildred Helms Elementary School a good school?
Mildred Helms Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Pinellas?
Besides Mildred Helms Elementary School, Pinellas also operates Palm Harbor University High (2,413 students), Largo High School (2,058 students), and East Lake High School (1,980 students). See the Pinellas 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.