Enrollment
974
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Homestead, FL
The Charter School at Waterstone
Federal NCES profile for The Charter School at Waterstone, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120039005476Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Charter School at Waterstone earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #5 of 12
- elementary schools in Homestead · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 59.7%
- free-lunch eligible
The Charter School at Waterstone has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Charter School at Waterstone ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in Homestead, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.7%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Charter School at Waterstone compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Charter School at Waterstone
The Charter School at Waterstone is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Homestead, Florida, enrolling 974 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.7% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 974 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 842 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #131.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 26/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students) and Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students) alongside The Charter School at Waterstone.
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 The Charter School at Waterstone compares
The Charter School at Waterstone on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.7% | ▲ 15% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 974 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
974
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 56% in Florida - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.0%
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
$12,258
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 85.4%
African American 9.5%
White 3.6%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 85.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.0, The Charter School at Waterstone is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Miami-Dade, which includes The Charter School at Waterstone.
$12,258
Per student
+10%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 23.3%
Federal 19.5%
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 The Charter School at Waterstone Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John a. Ferguson Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coral Reef Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dade Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Miami Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hialeah Gardens Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Charter School at Waterstone's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,291
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,399
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 3,382
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,100
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,009
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary 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 (~974 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Charter School at Waterstone's federal record.
- Compare The Charter School at Waterstone against another school. Compare schools
- Miami-Dade'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 The Charter School at Waterstone
How many students attend The Charter School at Waterstone?
The Charter School at Waterstone has 974 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Homestead, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Charter School at Waterstone?
The student-teacher ratio at The Charter School at Waterstone is 17.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 9% higher 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 The Charter School at Waterstone?
59.7% of students at The Charter School at Waterstone are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Charter School at Waterstone?
The largest demographic group at The Charter School at Waterstone is Hispanic or Latino at 85.4% of enrollment, in Homestead, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Charter School at Waterstone?
The Charter School at Waterstone has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does The Charter School at Waterstone rank among elementary schools in Homestead?
By Resource Investment Index, The Charter School at Waterstone ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in Homestead, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Homestead on the city page.
Is The Charter School at Waterstone a good school?
The Charter School at Waterstone earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Miami-Dade?
Besides The Charter School at Waterstone, Miami-Dade also operates John a. Ferguson Senior High (4,291 students), Coral Reef Senior High School (3,399 students), and South Dade Senior High School (3,382 students). See the Miami-Dade 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.