Enrollment
1,169
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Apollo Beach, FL
Waterset Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Waterset Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120087008556Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterset Charter School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Apollo Beach · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- large classes for Florida
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterset Charter School has class sizes larger than 79% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterset Charter School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Apollo Beach, FL.
School address
District: Hillsborough · Florida
NCES ID 120087008556 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterset Charter School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterset Charter School
Waterset Charter School is a large charter elementary school in Apollo Beach, Florida, enrolling 1,169 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,169 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 520 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #114.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students) and Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students) alongside Waterset Charter 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 Waterset Charter School compares
Waterset Charter 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 | 20.5:1 | ▲ 15% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▼ 39% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,169 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,169
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 79% in Florida - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
23.2%
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
$9,835
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
1
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hillsborough, which includes Waterset Charter School.
$9,835
Per student
-12%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.2%
State 40.7%
Federal 16.1%
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 Waterset Charter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Connections Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jule F Sumner High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newsome High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alonso High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plant City High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterset Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 5,748
- Students per teacher
- 40.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 3,602
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,157
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,863
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,572
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary 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 (~1,169 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterset Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Waterset Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Hillsborough'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 Waterset Charter School
How many students attend Waterset Charter School?
Waterset Charter School has 1,169 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Apollo Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterset Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterset Charter School is 20.5:1, which is 15% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waterset Charter School?
31.6% of students at Waterset Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterset Charter School?
Waterset Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Waterset Charter School rank among public schools in Apollo Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterset Charter School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Apollo Beach, 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 Apollo Beach on the city page.
Is Waterset Charter School a good school?
Waterset Charter School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Hillsborough?
Besides Waterset Charter School, Hillsborough also operates Florida Connections Academy (5,748 students), Jule F Sumner High School (3,602 students), and Newsome High School (3,157 students). See the Hillsborough 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.