Enrollment
246
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Palm Beach, FL
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach
Federal NCES profile for University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120150008499Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Florida schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #2 of 7
- elementary schools in West Palm Beach · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.4:1
- large classes for Florida
- 87.8%
- free-lunch eligible
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach has class sizes larger than 86% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in West Palm Beach, FL.
School address
District: Palm Beach · Florida
NCES ID 120150008499 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in West Palm Beach, Florida, enrolling 246 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.4:1 is larger than about 86% of Florida schools and 26% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 87.8% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 246 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 150 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is predominantly African American (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students) and Jupiter High School (3,122 students) alongside University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach.
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 University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach compares
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.4:1 | ▲ 26% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.8% | ▲ 69% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 86% in Florida - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
1.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,727
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
3
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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
African American 91.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
White 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.8, University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palm Beach, which includes University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach.
$12,727
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 21.7%
Federal 15.3%
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 University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John I. Leonard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jupiter High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Park Vista Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Boca Raton Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Beach Lakes High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,262
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,122
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,819
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~246 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach's federal record.
- Compare University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Beach'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 University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach
How many students attend University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach?
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach has 246 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Palm Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach?
The student-teacher ratio at University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach is 22.4:1, which is 26% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach?
87.8% of students at University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach?
The largest demographic group at University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach is African American at 91.5% of enrollment, in West Palm Beach, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach?
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach rank among elementary schools in West Palm Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach ranks #2 of 7 elementary schools in West Palm Beach, 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 West Palm Beach on the city page.
Is University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach a good school?
University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Palm Beach?
Besides University Preparatory Academy Palm Beach, Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students), Jupiter High School (3,122 students), and Park Vista Community High School (2,881 students). See the Palm Beach 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.