Enrollment
569
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Merritt Island, FL
Tropical Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Tropical Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120015000121
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tropical Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Merritt Island · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 46.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Tropical Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tropical Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Merritt Island, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120015000121 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tropical Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tropical Elementary School
Tropical Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Merritt Island, Florida, enrolling 569 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 569 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.
Among 734 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #525, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 569 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Brevard also operates Viera High School (2,334 students) and Melbourne Senior High School (2,210 students) alongside Tropical 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 Tropical Elementary School compares
Tropical 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.5% | ▼ 11% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 569 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
569
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 38% in Florida - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$10,368
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 569 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 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
White 74.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.9%
Two or More 10.5%
Asian 2.1%
African American 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 74.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.5, Tropical 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 Brevard, which includes Tropical Elementary School.
$10,368
Per student
-7%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 37.1%
Federal 17.8%
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 Tropical Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viera High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Melbourne Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heritage High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Odyssey Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tropical Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,334
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,917
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- 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 (~569 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tropical Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Tropical Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Brevard'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 Tropical Elementary School
How many students attend Tropical Elementary School?
Tropical Elementary School has 569 students enrolled. It is a public school in Merritt Island, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tropical Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tropical Elementary School is 15.4:1, which is 13% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 2% 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 Tropical Elementary School?
46.5% of students at Tropical Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tropical Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Tropical Elementary School is White at 74.9% of enrollment, in Merritt Island, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tropical Elementary School?
Tropical 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 Tropical Elementary School rank among schools in Merritt Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Tropical Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Merritt Island, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Merritt Island on the city page.
Is Tropical Elementary School a good school?
Tropical Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Brevard?
Besides Tropical Elementary School, Brevard also operates Viera High School (2,334 students), Melbourne Senior High School (2,210 students), and Bayside High School (2,122 students). See the Brevard 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.