Enrollment
438
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mulberry, FL
Purcell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Purcell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120159001763
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Purcell Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Mulberry · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- small classes for Florida
- 64.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Purcell Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Purcell Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mulberry, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Purcell Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Purcell Elementary School
Purcell Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mulberry, Florida, enrolling 438 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 438 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 729 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #440.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (36%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.6% 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 Purcell 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 Purcell Elementary School compares
Purcell 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 23% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.1% | ▲ 23% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 20% in Florida - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.6%
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 438 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 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 48.9%
White 36.3%
African American 11.6%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.5, Purcell 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 Polk, which includes Purcell 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 Purcell 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Purcell 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 (~438 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Purcell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Purcell 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 Purcell Elementary School
How many students attend Purcell Elementary School?
Purcell Elementary School has 438 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mulberry, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Purcell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Purcell Elementary School is 13.7:1, which is 23% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 13% 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 Purcell Elementary School?
64.1% of students at Purcell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Purcell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Purcell Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment, in Mulberry, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Purcell Elementary School?
Purcell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Purcell Elementary School rank among public schools in Mulberry?
By Resource Investment Index, Purcell Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mulberry, 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 Mulberry on the city page.
Is Purcell Elementary School a good school?
Purcell Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Purcell 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.