Enrollment
577
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wauchula, FL
Wauchula Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wauchula Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120075000881
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wauchula Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 76% of Florida schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Wauchula · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.1:1
- small classes for Florida
- 71.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Wauchula Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wauchula Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Wauchula, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wauchula Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wauchula Elementary School
Wauchula Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wauchula, Florida, enrolling 577 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 577 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 923 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #658, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (30%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 577 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hardee also operates Hardee Senior High School (1,347 students) and Hardee Junior High School (958 students) alongside Wauchula 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 Wauchula Elementary School compares
Wauchula 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 21% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.1% | ▲ 37% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 577 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
577
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 24% in Florida - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.5%
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
$10,936
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 577 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 57.4%
White 29.8%
African American 9.9%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.1, Wauchula 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 Hardee, which includes Wauchula Elementary School.
$10,936
Per student
-2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 50.7%
Federal 25.8%
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 Wauchula Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardee Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Wauchula Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Zolfo Springs Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hilltop Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wauchula Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,347
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 958
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 298
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- 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 (~577 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wauchula Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wauchula Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hardee'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 Wauchula Elementary School
How many students attend Wauchula Elementary School?
Wauchula Elementary School has 577 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wauchula, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wauchula Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wauchula Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 21% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 10% 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 Wauchula Elementary School?
71.1% of students at Wauchula Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wauchula Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wauchula Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment, in Wauchula, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wauchula Elementary School?
Wauchula Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Wauchula Elementary School rank among schools in Wauchula?
By Resource Investment Index, Wauchula Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Wauchula, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wauchula on the city page.
Is Wauchula Elementary School a good school?
Wauchula Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Hardee?
Besides Wauchula Elementary School, Hardee also operates Hardee Senior High School (1,347 students), Hardee Junior High School (958 students), and North Wauchula Elementary School (516 students). See the Hardee 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.