Enrollment
1,613
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Weeki Wachee, FL
Winding Waters K-8
Federal NCES profile for Winding Waters K-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120081007637
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 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
Winding Waters K-8 earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.2:1
- students per teacher
- 51.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 1,613
- students enrolled
Winding Waters K-8 has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
School address
NCES ID 120081007637 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
94.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Winding Waters K-8 compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Winding Waters K-8
Winding Waters K-8 is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Weeki Wachee, Florida, enrolling 1,613 students.
At 17.2:1, 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 51.3% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,613 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 391 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #270.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 807 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 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hernando also operates Frank W. Springstead High School (1,853 students) and Explorer K-8 (1,544 students) alongside Winding Waters K-8.
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 Winding Waters K-8 compares
Winding Waters K-8 on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▼ 1% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,613 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,613
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 57% in Florida - lower ratio than 43% 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
$9,962
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 807 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
199
in-school suspensions + 114 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.4 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 66.9%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Two or More 5.5%
African American 5.4%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.9, Winding Waters K-8 is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hernando, which includes Winding Waters K-8.
$9,962
Per student
-11%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.9%
State 44.9%
Federal 15.1%
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 Winding Waters K-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank W. Springstead High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Explorer K-8 | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Weeki Wachee High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Winding Waters K-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,853
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,544
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,444
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,437
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~1,613 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Winding Waters K-8's federal record.
- Compare Winding Waters K-8 against another school. Compare schools
- Hernando'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 Winding Waters K-8
How many students attend Winding Waters K-8?
Winding Waters K-8 has 1,613 students enrolled. It is a public school in Weeki Wachee, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Winding Waters K-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Winding Waters K-8 is 17.2:1, which is 3% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 10% 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 Winding Waters K-8?
51.3% of students at Winding Waters K-8 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Winding Waters K-8?
The largest demographic group at Winding Waters K-8 is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Weeki Wachee, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Winding Waters K-8?
Winding Waters K-8 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).
Is Winding Waters K-8 a good school?
Winding Waters K-8 earns 28/100 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 Hernando?
Besides Winding Waters K-8, Hernando also operates Frank W. Springstead High School (1,853 students), Explorer K-8 (1,544 students), and Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math (1,456 students). See the Hernando 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.