Enrollment
479
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Poinciana, FL
Palmetto Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159005342
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmetto Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 76% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Poinciana · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.1:1
- small classes for Florida
- 51.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmetto Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Poinciana, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.9%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-0% 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 Poinciana, Florida, enrolling 479 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.9% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 479 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 663 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #533, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 479 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 73.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 21% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.9% | ▼ 0% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 479 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
479
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 24% in Florida - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
73.1%
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
$11,454
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 479 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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 65.6%
African American 24.6%
White 7.1%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, 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 Polk, which includes Palmetto Elementary School.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | 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
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~479 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmetto Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Palmetto Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Polk'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 479 students enrolled. It is a public school in Poinciana, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 21% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 10% 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?
51.9% 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 65.6% of enrollment, in Poinciana, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto Elementary School?
Palmetto Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Palmetto Elementary School rank among public schools in Poinciana?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Poinciana, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Poinciana on the city page.
Is Palmetto Elementary School a good school?
Palmetto Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Polk?
Besides Palmetto Elementary School, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk 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.