Enrollment
1,178
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ponte Vedra, FL
Valley Ridge Academy
Federal NCES profile for Valley Ridge Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120174008280
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Ridge Academy earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Ponte Vedra · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 12.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Ridge Academy has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Ridge Academy ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ponte Vedra, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120174008280 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Ridge Academy compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Ridge Academy
Valley Ridge Academy is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Ponte Vedra, Florida, enrolling 1,178 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.4% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the Florida average.
Enrollment of 1,178 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 216 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 589 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
St. Johns also operates Tocoi Creek High School (2,616 students) and Creekside High School (2,479 students) alongside Valley Ridge Academy.
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 Valley Ridge Academy compares
Valley Ridge Academy on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.4% | ▼ 76% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,178 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,178
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 32% in Florida - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,233
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 589 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
43
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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
White 71.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 5.5%
African American 4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 71.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, Valley Ridge Academy is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Johns, which includes Valley Ridge Academy.
$9,233
Per student
-17%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.0%
State 37.4%
Federal 6.7%
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 Valley Ridge Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tocoi Creek High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Creekside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beachside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Allen D Nease Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bartram Trail High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Ridge Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,616
- Students per teacher
- 31.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,479
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,214
- Students per teacher
- 40.3:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 2,177
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,153
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~1,178 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Ridge Academy's federal record.
- Compare Valley Ridge Academy against another school. Compare schools
- St. Johns'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 Valley Ridge Academy
How many students attend Valley Ridge Academy?
Valley Ridge Academy has 1,178 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ponte Vedra, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Ridge Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Ridge Academy is 14.9:1, which is 16% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 5% 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 Valley Ridge Academy?
12.4% of students at Valley Ridge Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Ridge Academy?
The largest demographic group at Valley Ridge Academy is White at 71.6% of enrollment, in Ponte Vedra, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Ridge Academy?
Valley Ridge Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Valley Ridge Academy rank among public schools in Ponte Vedra?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Ridge Academy ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ponte Vedra, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ponte Vedra on the city page.
Is Valley Ridge Academy a good school?
Valley Ridge Academy earns 47/100 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 St. Johns?
Besides Valley Ridge Academy, St. Johns also operates Tocoi Creek High School (2,616 students), Creekside High School (2,479 students), and Beachside High School (2,214 students). See the St. Johns 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.