Enrollment
233
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jacksonville, FL
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Rufus E. Payne Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120048000713
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #23 of 94
- schools in Jacksonville · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- small classes for Florida
- 84.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rufus E. Payne Elementary School ranks #23 of 94 schools in Jacksonville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rufus E. Payne Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jacksonville, Florida, enrolling 233 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 is high: 84.0% of students qualify for free meals, 62% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 233 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 152 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 233 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Duval also operates Atlantic Coast High School (2,887 students) and Sandalwood High School (2,627 students) alongside Rufus E. Payne 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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School compares
Rufus E. Payne 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 | 84.0% | ▲ 62% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 233 | top 82% | - | - |
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.
233
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
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
79.0%
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
$10,696
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 233 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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
African American 88.4%
Two or More 4.7%
White 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 88.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.4, Rufus E. Payne Elementary School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duval, which includes Rufus E. Payne Elementary School.
$10,696
Per student
-4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 39.3%
Federal 19.8%
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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sandalwood High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mandarin High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Duncan U. Fletcher High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| First Coast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rufus E. Payne Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,887
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,627
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,343
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 2,184
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 2,098
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~233 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rufus E. Payne Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Rufus E. Payne Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Duval'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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School
How many students attend Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School has 233 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jacksonville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rufus E. Payne 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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?
84.0% of students at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Rufus E. Payne Elementary School is African American at 88.4% of enrollment, in Jacksonville, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rufus E. Payne Elementary School?
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Rufus E. Payne Elementary School rank among schools in Jacksonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Rufus E. Payne Elementary School ranks #23 of 94 schools in Jacksonville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jacksonville on the city page.
Is Rufus E. Payne Elementary School a good school?
Rufus E. Payne Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Duval?
Besides Rufus E. Payne Elementary School, Duval also operates Atlantic Coast High School (2,887 students), Sandalwood High School (2,627 students), and Mandarin High School (2,343 students). See the Duval 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.