Enrollment
519
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Palmetto, FL
Palmetto Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120123001231
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmetto Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 10
- schools in Palmetto · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- small classes for Florida
- 74.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmetto Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Elementary School ranks #3 of 10 schools in Palmetto, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmetto Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmetto Elementary School
Palmetto Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Palmetto, Florida, enrolling 519 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13:1, Palmetto Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Florida schools and 27% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 74.6% of students qualify for free meals, 43% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 519 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 798 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #56, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and White (18%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 260 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.9% 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 Palmetto 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 Palmetto Elementary School compares
Palmetto 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 27% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.6% | ▲ 43% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 15% in Florida - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.9%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 260 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 64.7%
White 17.7%
African American 11.6%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Palmetto Elementary School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manatee, which includes Palmetto 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 Palmetto 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee School for the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manatee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmetto 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 (~519 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmetto Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Palmetto 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 Palmetto Elementary School
How many students attend Palmetto Elementary School?
Palmetto Elementary School has 519 students enrolled. It is a public school in Palmetto, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary School is 13:1, which is 27% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 17% 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 Palmetto Elementary School?
74.6% of students at Palmetto Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmetto Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Palmetto Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 64.7% of enrollment, in Palmetto, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto Elementary School?
Palmetto Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Palmetto Elementary School rank among schools in Palmetto?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Elementary School ranks #3 of 10 schools in Palmetto, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Palmetto on the city page.
Is Palmetto Elementary School a good school?
Palmetto Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Palmetto 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.