Enrollment
908
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ocala, FL
Ward-Highlands Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ward-Highlands Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120126001264
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ward-Highlands Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #13 of 29
- schools in Ocala · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 54.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ward-Highlands Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ward-Highlands Elementary School ranks #13 of 29 schools in Ocala, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ward-Highlands Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ward-Highlands Elementary School
Ward-Highlands Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ocala, Florida, enrolling 908 students.
At 16.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Florida median, within a few percentage points of the 17.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.6% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 908 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 916 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #492.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 454 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students) and Forest High School (2,387 students) alongside Ward-Highlands 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 Ward-Highlands Elementary School compares
Ward-Highlands 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 | 16.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.6% | ▲ 5% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 908 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
908
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 50% in Florida - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.4%
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
$10,818
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 454 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 65 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 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
White 53.1%
Hispanic or Latino 24.8%
African American 14.3%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.2, Ward-Highlands 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 Marion, which includes Ward-Highlands Elementary School.
$10,818
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 43.3%
Federal 21.4%
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 Ward-Highlands Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Port High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vanguard High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belleview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ward-Highlands Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,022
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,387
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,904
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,684
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
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 (~908 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ward-Highlands Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ward-Highlands Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Marion'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 Ward-Highlands Elementary School
How many students attend Ward-Highlands Elementary School?
Ward-Highlands Elementary School has 908 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ocala, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ward-Highlands Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ward-Highlands Elementary School is 16.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 5% higher 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 Ward-Highlands Elementary School?
54.6% of students at Ward-Highlands Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ward-Highlands Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ward-Highlands Elementary School is White at 53.1% of enrollment, in Ocala, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ward-Highlands Elementary School?
Ward-Highlands Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Ward-Highlands Elementary School rank among schools in Ocala?
By Resource Investment Index, Ward-Highlands Elementary School ranks #13 of 29 schools in Ocala, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Ocala on the city page.
Is Ward-Highlands Elementary School a good school?
Ward-Highlands Elementary School earns 33/100 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 Marion?
Besides Ward-Highlands Elementary School, Marion also operates West Port High School (3,022 students), Forest High School (2,387 students), and Belleview High School (1,904 students). See the Marion 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.