Enrollment
344
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pensacola, FL
O. J. Semmes Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for O. J. Semmes Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120051000809
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
O. J. Semmes Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #18 of 39
- schools in Pensacola · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 89.7%
- free-lunch eligible
O. J. Semmes Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, O. J. Semmes Elementary School ranks #18 of 39 schools in Pensacola, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How O. J. Semmes Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at O. J. Semmes Elementary School
O. J. Semmes Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pensacola, Florida, enrolling 344 students.
At 16.4:1, 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: 89.7% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 344 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 206 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #99.
Its student body is led by African American (75%) and White (10%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 101 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 344 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Escambia also operates J. M. Tate Senior High School (2,169 students) and Washington Senior High School (1,676 students) alongside O. J. Semmes 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 O. J. Semmes Elementary School compares
O. J. Semmes 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.7% | ▲ 73% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 344 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
344
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 49% in Florida - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.6%
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
$10,794
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
African American 75.0%
White 9.9%
Two or More 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 75.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.7, O. J. Semmes Elementary School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Escambia, which includes O. J. Semmes Elementary School.
$10,794
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 40.7%
Federal 20.6%
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 O. J. Semmes Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. M. Tate Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Escambia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Forest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Florida High School/Technical | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to O. J. Semmes Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,676
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,604
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,322
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~344 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on O. J. Semmes Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare O. J. Semmes Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Escambia'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 O. J. Semmes Elementary School
How many students attend O. J. Semmes Elementary School?
O. J. Semmes Elementary School has 344 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pensacola, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at O. J. Semmes Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at O. J. Semmes Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 8% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 4% 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 O. J. Semmes Elementary School?
89.7% of students at O. J. Semmes Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of O. J. Semmes Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at O. J. Semmes Elementary School is African American at 75.0% of enrollment, in Pensacola, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for O. J. Semmes Elementary School?
O. J. Semmes 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 O. J. Semmes Elementary School rank among schools in Pensacola?
By Resource Investment Index, O. J. Semmes Elementary School ranks #18 of 39 schools in Pensacola, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pensacola on the city page.
Is O. J. Semmes Elementary School a good school?
O. J. Semmes Elementary School earns 34/100 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 Escambia?
Besides O. J. Semmes Elementary School, Escambia also operates J. M. Tate Senior High School (2,169 students), Washington Senior High School (1,676 students), and Escambia High School (1,634 students). See the Escambia 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.