Enrollment
463
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gainesville, FL
W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120003000008
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #3 of 22
- schools in Gainesville · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- students per teacher
- 85.8%
- free-lunch eligible
W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School ranks #3 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School
W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gainesville, Florida, enrolling 463 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.8% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 463 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 414 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #32, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 35/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students) and Gainesville High School (1,825 students) alongside W. a. Metcalfe 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 W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School compares
W. a. Metcalfe 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 | 17.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.8% | ▲ 65% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 463 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
463
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 62% in Florida - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$10,805
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 80.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 6.3%
White 5.2%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 80.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.6, W. a. Metcalfe 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 Alachua, which includes W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School.
$10,805
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.3%
State 36.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| F. W. Buchholz High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Kanapaha Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,416
- Students per teacher
- 30.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,825
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 30.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,132
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,014
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~463 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Alachua'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 W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School
How many students attend W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School?
W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School has 463 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gainesville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School is 17.8:1, which is 0% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School?
85.8% of students at W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School is African American at 80.1% of enrollment, in Gainesville, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School?
W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School rank among schools in Gainesville?
By Resource Investment Index, W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School ranks #3 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gainesville on the city page.
Is W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School a good school?
W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School earns 45/100 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 Alachua?
Besides W. a. Metcalfe Elementary School, Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students), Gainesville High School (1,825 students), and Eastside High School (1,291 students). See the Alachua 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.