Enrollment
546
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clearwater, FL
Ponce De Leon Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ponce De Leon Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120156001669
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ponce De Leon Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Florida schools.
- #16 of 19
- schools in Clearwater · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Florida
- 74.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ponce De Leon Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ponce De Leon Elementary School ranks #16 of 19 schools in Clearwater, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ponce De Leon Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ponce De Leon Elementary School
Ponce De Leon Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Clearwater, Florida, enrolling 546 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.6:1, Ponce De Leon Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Florida schools and 35% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 74.5% of students qualify for free meals, 43% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 546 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.
Against 827 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #455.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (38%) and African American (29%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 546 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.2% 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 Ponce De Leon 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 Ponce De Leon Elementary School compares
Ponce De Leon 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 35% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.5% | ▲ 43% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 546 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
546
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.5%
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
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 9% in Florida - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
46.2%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 546 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 38.3%
African American 28.6%
White 20.9%
Two or More 10.3%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.7, Ponce De Leon 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 Pinellas, which includes Ponce De Leon Elementary School.
$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 Ponce De Leon Elementary School 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lake High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixie M. Hollins High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Petersburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ponce De Leon Elementary School'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 (~546 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponce De Leon Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ponce De Leon Elementary School 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 Ponce De Leon Elementary School
How many students attend Ponce De Leon Elementary School?
Ponce De Leon Elementary School has 546 students enrolled. It is a public school in Clearwater, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponce De Leon Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ponce De Leon Elementary School is 11.6:1, which is 35% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 26% 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 Ponce De Leon Elementary School?
74.5% of students at Ponce De Leon Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ponce De Leon Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ponce De Leon Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 38.3% of enrollment, in Clearwater, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponce De Leon Elementary School?
Ponce De Leon Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Ponce De Leon Elementary School rank among schools in Clearwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Ponce De Leon Elementary School ranks #16 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 Ponce De Leon Elementary School a good school?
Ponce De Leon Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Ponce De Leon Elementary School, 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.