1
Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,010
Elementary
DISTRICT 625 · STATE 604
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MARION·NCES 120126004985
HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
4397 SW 95TH ST, OCALA, FL 34476 · (352) 291-7900 · Marion County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,010 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
19.4:1
52 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.5:1 · STATE 17.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
510 students
DISTRICT 57% · STATE 50%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 40 | 4% |
| Kindergarten | 144 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 145 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 168 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 182 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 152 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 179 | 18% |
This year's kindergarten class (144) is 20% smaller than its 5th grade class (179).
Student demographics
67%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 69% · STATE 70% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
FAST / B.E.S.T. 2024-25 . % at Level 3 or AboveEnglish Language Arts
50.4%
FL avg 56.7% . -4.7pp since 2023
Math
53.2%
FL avg 58.9% . -6.6pp since 2023
What this means: On the FAST / B.E.S.T., Florida's statewide test, about 50 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 53 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Florida schools, those numbers are about 57 and 59. Reading and writing scores are down about 5 points since 2023, while math scores are down about 7 points.
FAST / B.E.S.T. results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 50.4% | 53.2% |
| 2023-24 | 55.1% | 59.8% |
% at Level 3 or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: FAST / B.E.S.T.. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
53.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
55.9%
based on FL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-2.0pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 54% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 56% typical for Florida schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Florida's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (53.8% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 1,010 | 50.5% | 53.8% |
| AVANT GARDE ACADEMY K-5 BROWARD HOLLYWOOD | 959 | 48.9% | 50.8% |
| CALOOSA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAPE CORAL | 968 | 52.7% | 58.0% |
| RIVER HALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALVA | 913 | 50.2% | 46.6% |
| MASCOTTE CHARTER SCHOOL MASCOTTE | 937 | 48.1% | 55.9% |
| SUMMERFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIVERVIEW | 901 | 52.4% | 47.3% |
Matched among Florida elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Florida | In Marion County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 53.8% | #1,139 of 2,136 | #8 of 32 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 53.2% | #1,405 of 2,149 ▼ 459 | #14 of 32 ▼ 7 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 50.4% | #1,280 of 2,149 ▼ 351 | #9 of 32 ▼ 3 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,010 | #191 of 2,267 | #3 of 36 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.4:1 | #1,897 of 2,077 | #30 of 33 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.3% | #405 of 2,108 | #11 of 33 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 50.5% | #1,284 of 2,188 | #28 of 33 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +23.3% | #164 of 621 | #6 of 19 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,010
+257 (+34%) vs 2020
+26% since 2010-11, when it was 801
Student : Teacher
19.4:1
was 14.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,010 | 52 | 19.4:1 | 50% (510) |
| 2023-24 | 970 | 55 | 17.6:1 | 53% (517) |
| 2022-23 | 867 | 52 | 16.7:1 | 54% (467) |
| 2020-21 | 753 | 52 | 14.5:1 | 51% (382) |
| 2017-18 | 819 | 52 | 15.8:1 | 55% (454) |
| 2015-16 | 788 | 50 | 15.8:1 | 55% (431) |
| 2010-11 | 801 | 56 | 14.3:1 | 57% (460) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Students in OCALA, Florida, attend HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, a large elementary school. The student body numbers 1,010 students, from pre-K through 5. Average enrollment for elementary schools in Florida is about 604, so this school runs 67% above that.
HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 62 schools in MARION, which enrolls 46,349 students in total.
No single group makes up more than half of enrollment at HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. The largest is Hispanic students, at 43%. The next largest groups are 35% White, 15% Black, 5% multiracial, and 3% Asian. In Marion County overall, about 17% of residents are Hispanic. The school's diversity index is 67%, meaning two students picked at random have a 67% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
A ratio of 19.4:1 comes from the school's 52 full-time-equivalent teachers. The school has more students per teacher than the 17.5:1 average for elementary schools in Florida. The lunch program counts 50% of students at HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL as eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
The allk12 BeatsExpectations score for HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is -2.0 points: 53.8% actual, 55.9% predicted.
Census Bureau estimates for Marion County show that the median household income is $61,010, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 23% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 10%. There are 68 public schools in Marion County, enrolling about 46,349 students in all.
LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL is located about 0.2 miles from HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Around the school, 5 other public schools are within five miles. In a group of 9 nearby schools with scores, HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 2nd on average proficiency.
The school's locale code, Rural: Fringe, means it is in rural territory close to an urban area.
The school enrolled 1,010 students in 2024-25, 257 more than the 753 it had in 2020-21. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 14.5:1 in 2020-21 to 19.4:1 in 2024-25.
Questions about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news can be posted here. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Marion County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
400,078
Census ACS
Median income
$61,010
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
23%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
68
46,349 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in MARION
- WEST PORT HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,022 students
- FOREST HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,387 students
- BELLEVIEW HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,904 students
- VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,684 students
- BELLEVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 1,600 students
- DUNNELLON HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,562 students
Other schools in OCALA
- WEST PORT HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 3,022 students
- FOREST HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 2,387 students
- VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,684 students
- LAKE WEIR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,447 students
- SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 1,402 students
- HORIZON ACADEMY AT MARION OAKSMiddle · 1,260 students
Nearby schools
- LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL0.2 mi · 1,171
- MARION OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL3.7 mi · 1,196
- INA A.COLEN ACADEMY4.2 mi · 546
- SADDLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4.4 mi · 1,007
- SHADY HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4.6 mi · 615
- SUNRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL5.6 mi · 1,402
Frequently asked questions
About HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHow large is HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 1,010 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Approximately 19.4:1 students per teacher at HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
What is the student diversity at HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Student demographics at HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are roughly 35% White, 43% Hispanic, 15% Black, 3% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in?
HAMMETT BOWEN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is part of MARION.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.