Enrollment
512
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Zolfo Springs, FL
Zolfo Springs Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Zolfo Springs Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120075000880
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 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
Zolfo Springs Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 87% of Florida schools.
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Florida
- 74.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 512
- students enrolled
Zolfo Springs Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 87% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.1%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Zolfo Springs Elementary School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Zolfo Springs Elementary School
Zolfo Springs Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Zolfo Springs, Florida, enrolling 512 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.5:1, Zolfo Springs Elementary School is leaner than roughly 87% of Florida schools and 30% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.1% of students eligible for free meals.
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 797 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #490.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and White (37%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 512 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.3% 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 Zolfo Springs 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 Zolfo Springs Elementary School compares
Zolfo Springs 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 30% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.1% | ▲ 42% | 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
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
512
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 13% in Florida - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
54.3%
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 512 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 59.6%
White 36.5%
Two or More 2.0%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, Zolfo Springs Elementary School is about as mixed as the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hardee, which includes Zolfo Springs 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 Zolfo Springs 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wauchula Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Wauchula Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hilltop Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Zolfo Springs 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
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- 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 (~512 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Zolfo Springs Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Zolfo Springs 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 Zolfo Springs Elementary School
How many students attend Zolfo Springs Elementary School?
Zolfo Springs Elementary School has 512 students enrolled. It is a public school in Zolfo Springs, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Zolfo Springs Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Zolfo Springs Elementary School is 12.5:1, which is 30% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 20% 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 Zolfo Springs Elementary School?
74.1% of students at Zolfo Springs Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Zolfo Springs Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Zolfo Springs Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 59.6% of enrollment, in Zolfo Springs, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Zolfo Springs Elementary School?
Zolfo Springs Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Zolfo Springs Elementary School a good school?
Zolfo Springs Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Zolfo Springs Elementary School, Hardee also operates Hardee Senior High School (1,347 students), Hardee Junior High School (958 students), and Wauchula Elementary School (577 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.