Enrollment
665
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Orange Park, FL
Robert M. Paterson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Robert M. Paterson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120030000203
👥 S:T ratio 66
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert M. Paterson Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Florida schools.
- #5 of 15
- schools in Orange Park · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.4:1
- small classes for Florida
- 29.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert M. Paterson Elementary has class sizes smaller than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert M. Paterson Elementary ranks #5 of 15 schools in Orange Park, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-53% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert M. Paterson Elementary compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert M. Paterson Elementary
Robert M. Paterson Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Orange Park, Florida, enrolling 665 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.4:1, Robert M. Paterson Elementary is leaner than roughly 95% of Florida schools and 53% 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 29.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 665 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 536 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #63.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 333 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Clay also operates Oakleaf High School (2,307 students) and Middleburg High School (1,866 students) alongside Robert M. Paterson Elementary.
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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary compares
Robert M. Paterson Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.4:1 | ▼ 53% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.7% | ▼ 43% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 665 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.4:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
665
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
8.4:1
students per teacher
- 53% below state mean
Top 5% in Florida - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.9%
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
$9,847
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 333 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 70.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
Two or More 6.8%
African American 5.4%
Asian 4.7%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.7, Robert M. Paterson Elementary is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clay, which includes Robert M. Paterson Elementary.
$9,847
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.3%
State 53.9%
Federal 14.9%
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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakleaf High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Middleburg High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orange Park High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clay High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert M. Paterson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,307
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,866
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,792
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,776
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~665 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert M. Paterson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Robert M. Paterson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Clay'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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary
How many students attend Robert M. Paterson Elementary?
Robert M. Paterson Elementary has 665 students enrolled. It is a public school in Orange Park, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert M. Paterson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert M. Paterson Elementary is 8.4:1, which is 53% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 46% 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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary?
29.7% of students at Robert M. Paterson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert M. Paterson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Robert M. Paterson Elementary is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Orange Park, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert M. Paterson Elementary?
Robert M. Paterson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Robert M. Paterson Elementary rank among schools in Orange Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert M. Paterson Elementary ranks #5 of 15 schools in Orange Park, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Orange Park on the city page.
Is Robert M. Paterson Elementary a good school?
Robert M. Paterson Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Clay?
Besides Robert M. Paterson Elementary, Clay also operates Oakleaf High School (2,307 students), Middleburg High School (1,866 students), and Orange Park High School (1,844 students). See the Clay 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.