Enrollment
573
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gainesville, FL
William S. Talbot Elem School
Federal NCES profile for William S. Talbot Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120003002466
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William S. Talbot Elem School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools.
- #6 of 22
- schools in Gainesville · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Florida
- 32.8%
- free-lunch eligible
William S. Talbot Elem School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William S. Talbot Elem School ranks #6 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William S. Talbot Elem School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at William S. Talbot Elem School
William S. Talbot Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gainesville, Florida, enrolling 573 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 573 students, its enrollment sits close to the Florida median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 509 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #195.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 573 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 William S. Talbot Elem 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 William S. Talbot Elem School compares
William S. Talbot Elem 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 20% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.8% | ▼ 37% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 573 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
573
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 26% in Florida - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 573 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 49.9%
African American 18.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
Two or More 12.0%
Asian 5.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, William S. Talbot Elem 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 William S. Talbot Elem 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 William S. Talbot Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| F. W. Buchholz High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Kanapaha Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William S. Talbot Elem 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 (~573 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William S. Talbot Elem School's federal record.
- Compare William S. Talbot Elem 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 William S. Talbot Elem School
How many students attend William S. Talbot Elem School?
William S. Talbot Elem School has 573 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gainesville, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William S. Talbot Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at William S. Talbot Elem School is 14.3:1, which is 20% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 9% 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 William S. Talbot Elem School?
32.8% of students at William S. Talbot Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William S. Talbot Elem School?
The largest demographic group at William S. Talbot Elem School is White at 49.9% of enrollment, in Gainesville, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William S. Talbot Elem School?
William S. Talbot Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 William S. Talbot Elem School rank among schools in Gainesville?
By Resource Investment Index, William S. Talbot Elem School ranks #6 of 22 schools in Gainesville, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gainesville on the city page.
Is William S. Talbot Elem School a good school?
William S. Talbot Elem School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 William S. Talbot Elem 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.