Enrollment
512
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · West Palm Beach, FL
Westward Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Westward Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120150001494
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Westward Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Florida schools.
- #20 of 33
- schools in West Palm Beach · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 80.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Westward Elementary School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Westward Elementary School ranks #20 of 33 schools in West Palm Beach, FL.
School address
District: Palm Beach · Florida
NCES ID 120150001494 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.4%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Westward Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Westward Elementary School
Westward Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in West Palm Beach, Florida, enrolling 512 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.
Economic need is high: 80.4% of students qualify for free meals, 55% above the Florida average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 512 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.
Against 620 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #431.
Its student body is predominantly African American (86% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 512 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students) and Jupiter High School (3,122 students) alongside Westward 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 Westward Elementary School compares
Westward 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 | 80.4% | ▲ 55% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 512 | top 59% | - | - |
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.
512
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
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
36.1%
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
$12,727
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 512 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 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 86.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
White 2.5%
Asian 1.0%
Two or More 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 86.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.9, Westward 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 Palm Beach, which includes Westward Elementary School.
$12,727
Per student
+14%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 21.7%
Federal 15.3%
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 Westward Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John I. Leonard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jupiter High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Vista Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Boca Raton Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palm Beach Lakes High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Westward Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,262
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 3,122
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,881
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,819
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,809
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~512 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Westward Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Westward Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Palm Beach'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 Westward Elementary School
How many students attend Westward Elementary School?
Westward Elementary School has 512 students enrolled. It is a public school in West Palm Beach, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Westward Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Westward 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 Westward Elementary School?
80.4% of students at Westward Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Westward Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Westward Elementary School is African American at 86.1% of enrollment, in West Palm Beach, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Westward Elementary School?
Westward 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 Westward Elementary School rank among schools in West Palm Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Westward Elementary School ranks #20 of 33 schools in West Palm Beach, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in West Palm Beach on the city page.
Is Westward Elementary School a good school?
Westward Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Palm Beach?
Besides Westward Elementary School, Palm Beach also operates John I. Leonard High School (3,262 students), Jupiter High School (3,122 students), and Park Vista Community High School (2,881 students). See the Palm Beach 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.