Enrollment
372
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alachua, FL
W. W. Irby Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for W. W. Irby Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120003000034
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W. W. Irby Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Alachua · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Florida
- 63.3%
- free-lunch eligible
W. W. Irby Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W. W. Irby Elementary School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Alachua, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W. W. Irby Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at W. W. Irby Elementary School
W. W. Irby Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Alachua, Florida, enrolling 372 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 372 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 516 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #219.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (34%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 372 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.0% 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. W. Irby 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. W. Irby Elementary School compares
W. W. Irby 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 25% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.3% | ▲ 22% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 372 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
372
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 17% in Florida - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.0%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 372 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 45.2%
African American 33.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
Two or More 6.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 45.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, W. W. Irby Elementary School is more 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. W. Irby 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. W. Irby 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. W. Irby 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 (~372 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W. W. Irby Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare W. W. Irby 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. W. Irby Elementary School
How many students attend W. W. Irby Elementary School?
W. W. Irby Elementary School has 372 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alachua, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W. W. Irby Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at W. W. Irby Elementary School is 13.3:1, which is 25% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 15% 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 W. W. Irby Elementary School?
63.3% of students at W. W. Irby Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W. W. Irby Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at W. W. Irby Elementary School is White at 45.2% of enrollment, in Alachua, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W. W. Irby Elementary School?
W. W. Irby Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 W. W. Irby Elementary School rank among public schools in Alachua?
By Resource Investment Index, W. W. Irby Elementary School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Alachua, 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 Alachua on the city page.
Is W. W. Irby Elementary School a good school?
W. W. Irby Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Alachua?
Besides W. W. Irby 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.