Enrollment
520
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Orlando, FL
Vista Lakes Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Vista Lakes Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120144005029
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Lakes Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Florida schools.
- #50 of 128
- schools in Orlando · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- small classes for Florida
- 45.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Lakes Elementary has class sizes smaller than 73% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Lakes Elementary ranks #50 of 128 schools in Orlando, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Lakes Elementary compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Lakes Elementary
Vista Lakes Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Orlando, Florida, enrolling 520 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 520 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 605 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #367.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (20%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 520 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students) and Timber Creek High (3,383 students) alongside Vista Lakes Elementary.
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 Vista Lakes Elementary compares
Vista Lakes Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.2% | ▼ 13% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 520 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
520
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 27% in Florida - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$11,578
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 520 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 62.5%
White 19.6%
African American 8.8%
Asian 5.2%
Two or More 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Vista Lakes Elementary is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange, which includes Vista Lakes Elementary.
$11,578
Per student
+4%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.2%
State 28.8%
Federal 18.0%
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 Vista Lakes Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apopka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timber Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Park High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colonial High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Windermere High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vista Lakes Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,446
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 3,383
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,277
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,239
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 3,217
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~520 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Lakes Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Vista Lakes Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Orange'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 Vista Lakes Elementary
How many students attend Vista Lakes Elementary?
Vista Lakes Elementary has 520 students enrolled. It is a public school in Orlando, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Lakes Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Lakes Elementary is 14.4:1, which is 19% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 8% 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 Vista Lakes Elementary?
45.2% of students at Vista Lakes Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Lakes Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Vista Lakes Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 62.5% of enrollment, in Orlando, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Lakes Elementary?
Vista Lakes Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Vista Lakes Elementary rank among schools in Orlando?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Lakes Elementary ranks #50 of 128 schools in Orlando, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Orlando on the city page.
Is Vista Lakes Elementary a good school?
Vista Lakes Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Orange?
Besides Vista Lakes Elementary, Orange also operates Apopka High (3,446 students), Timber Creek High (3,383 students), and Winter Park High (3,277 students). See the Orange 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.