Enrollment
137
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clearwater, FL
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center
Federal NCES profile for Paul B. Stephens Ese Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120156002246
👥 S:T ratio 82
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Florida schools.
- #9 of 19
- schools in Clearwater · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 4.6:1
- small classes for Florida
- 38.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center has class sizes smaller than 98% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul B. Stephens Ese Center ranks #9 of 19 schools in Clearwater, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-74% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul B. Stephens Ese Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul B. Stephens Ese Center
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center is a small combined-grade school in Clearwater, Florida, enrolling 137 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.6:1, Paul B. Stephens Ese Center is leaner than roughly 98% of Florida schools and 74% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 137 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 60 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #33.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 55/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.2% 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 Paul B. Stephens Ese Center.
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 Paul B. Stephens Ese Center compares
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 4.6:1 | ▼ 74% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.8% | ▼ 25% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 137 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.6:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
137
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
4.6:1
students per teacher
- 74% below state mean
Top 2% in Florida - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
64.2%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 62.8%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
African American 9.5%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Paul B. Stephens Ese Center is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pinellas, which includes Paul B. Stephens Ese Center.
$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 Paul B. Stephens Ese Center 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 | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lake High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie M. Hollins High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Petersburg High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul B. Stephens Ese Center'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 (~137 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul B. Stephens Ese Center's federal record.
- Compare Paul B. Stephens Ese Center 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 Paul B. Stephens Ese Center
How many students attend Paul B. Stephens Ese Center?
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center has 137 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Clearwater, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul B. Stephens Ese Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul B. Stephens Ese Center is 4.6:1, which is 74% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 71% 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 Paul B. Stephens Ese Center?
38.8% of students at Paul B. Stephens Ese Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul B. Stephens Ese Center?
The largest demographic group at Paul B. Stephens Ese Center is White at 62.8% of enrollment, in Clearwater, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul B. Stephens Ese Center?
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Paul B. Stephens Ese Center rank among schools in Clearwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul B. Stephens Ese Center ranks #9 of 19 schools in Clearwater, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Clearwater on the city page.
Is Paul B. Stephens Ese Center a good school?
Paul B. Stephens Ese Center earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% 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 Paul B. Stephens Ese Center, 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.