Enrollment
616
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Clearwater, FL
Plato Academy Clearwater
Federal NCES profile for Plato Academy Clearwater, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120156004036Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plato Academy Clearwater earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Clearwater · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- small classes for Florida
- 30.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Plato Academy Clearwater has class sizes smaller than 82% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plato Academy Clearwater ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Clearwater, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plato Academy Clearwater compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plato Academy Clearwater
Plato Academy Clearwater is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Clearwater, Florida, enrolling 616 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 616 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.
Against 507 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #126.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 616 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 Plato Academy Clearwater.
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 Plato Academy Clearwater compares
Plato Academy Clearwater on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 25% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.6% | ▼ 41% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 616 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
616
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 18% in Florida - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 616 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 57.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
African American 8.3%
Asian 7.6%
Two or More 5.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 57.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.0, Plato Academy Clearwater is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pinellas, which includes Plato Academy Clearwater.
$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 Plato Academy Clearwater Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Harbor University High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Largo High School | Larger | Higher 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 Plato Academy Clearwater'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 elementary 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 (~616 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plato Academy Clearwater's federal record.
- Compare Plato Academy Clearwater 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 Plato Academy Clearwater
How many students attend Plato Academy Clearwater?
Plato Academy Clearwater has 616 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Clearwater, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plato Academy Clearwater?
The student-teacher ratio at Plato Academy Clearwater is 13.4:1, which is 25% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 15% 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 Plato Academy Clearwater?
30.6% of students at Plato Academy Clearwater are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plato Academy Clearwater?
The largest demographic group at Plato Academy Clearwater is White at 57.5% of enrollment, in Clearwater, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plato Academy Clearwater?
Plato Academy Clearwater 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 Plato Academy Clearwater rank among elementary schools in Clearwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Plato Academy Clearwater ranks #2 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Clearwater on the city page.
Is Plato Academy Clearwater a good school?
Plato Academy Clearwater earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Plato Academy Clearwater, 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.