Enrollment
396
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bradenton, FL
Palma Sola Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Palma Sola Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120123001230
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palma Sola Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Florida schools.
- #15 of 33
- schools in Bradenton · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- small classes for Florida
- 49.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Palma Sola Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palma Sola Elementary School ranks #15 of 33 schools in Bradenton, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palma Sola Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palma Sola Elementary School
Palma Sola Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bradenton, Florida, enrolling 396 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.1% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 396 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 411 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #199.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students) and Parrish Community High School (2,266 students) alongside Palma Sola 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 Palma Sola Elementary School compares
Palma Sola 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 26% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.1% | ▼ 6% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 17% in Florida - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.6%
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
$10,900
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 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 59.3%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
Two or More 7.6%
African American 6.1%
Asian 4.5%
Largest group: White at 59.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.6, Palma Sola 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 Manatee, which includes Palma Sola Elementary School.
$10,900
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 25.8%
Federal 15.9%
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 Palma Sola Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Ranch High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parrish Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmetto High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palma Sola Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,185
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~396 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palma Sola Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Palma Sola Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Manatee'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 Palma Sola Elementary School
How many students attend Palma Sola Elementary School?
Palma Sola Elementary School has 396 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bradenton, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palma Sola Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palma Sola Elementary School is 13.2:1, which is 26% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 16% 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 Palma Sola Elementary School?
49.1% of students at Palma Sola Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palma Sola Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Palma Sola Elementary School is White at 59.3% of enrollment, in Bradenton, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palma Sola Elementary School?
Palma Sola Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Palma Sola Elementary School rank among schools in Bradenton?
By Resource Investment Index, Palma Sola Elementary School ranks #15 of 33 schools in Bradenton, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bradenton on the city page.
Is Palma Sola Elementary School a good school?
Palma Sola Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Manatee?
Besides Palma Sola Elementary School, Manatee also operates Lakewood Ranch High School (2,422 students), Parrish Community High School (2,266 students), and Palmetto High School (2,185 students). See the Manatee 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.