Enrollment
572
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Lauderdale, FL
Stephen Foster Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Stephen Foster Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120018000214
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 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
Stephen Foster Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 86% of Florida schools.
- #14 of 23
- schools in Fort Lauderdale · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.7:1
- small classes for Florida
- 73.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephen Foster Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Foster Elementary School ranks #14 of 23 schools in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120018000214 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen Foster Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen Foster Elementary School
Stephen Foster Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, enrolling 572 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.7:1, Stephen Foster Elementary School is leaner than roughly 86% of Florida schools and 29% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 572 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 877 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #524.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 572 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students) and Western High School (3,510 students) alongside Stephen Foster 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 Stephen Foster Elementary School compares
Stephen Foster 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 29% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.1% | ▲ 41% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
572
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 14% in Florida - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.6%
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
$11,419
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 572 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 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 76.6%
African American 14.7%
White 7.5%
Two or More 0.7%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.6, Stephen Foster 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 Broward, which includes Stephen Foster Elementary School.
$11,419
Per student
+2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.6%
State 31.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 Stephen Foster Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Bay High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Glades High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Broward High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen Foster Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,579
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 3,510
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,843
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,492
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~572 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen Foster Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Stephen Foster Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Broward'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 Stephen Foster Elementary School
How many students attend Stephen Foster Elementary School?
Stephen Foster Elementary School has 572 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen Foster Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen Foster Elementary School is 12.7:1, which is 29% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 19% 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 Stephen Foster Elementary School?
73.1% of students at Stephen Foster Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen Foster Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Stephen Foster Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen Foster Elementary School?
Stephen Foster Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Stephen Foster Elementary School rank among schools in Fort Lauderdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Foster Elementary School ranks #14 of 23 schools in Fort Lauderdale, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Lauderdale on the city page.
Is Stephen Foster Elementary School a good school?
Stephen Foster Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Broward?
Besides Stephen Foster Elementary School, Broward also operates Cypress Bay High School (4,579 students), Western High School (3,510 students), and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (3,089 students). See the Broward 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.