Enrollment
739
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 510267003018
Academy for Discovery at Lakewood — Norfolk, VA
Federal NCES profile for Academy for Discovery at Lakewood, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 57/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 90
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Norfolk City Public Schools · Virginia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.9%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy for Discovery at Lakewood compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Academy for Discovery at Lakewood reports 739 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 50.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 97.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 63% above the Virginia average and 89% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 370 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 4.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Norfolk City Public Schools spends $15,833 per pupil district-wide, below the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.5% from local sources (property taxes), 46.2% from the state, and 19.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Academy for Discovery at Lakewood compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.9% | ▲ 63% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 739 | top 72% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
97.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 63% above the Virginia average of 59.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 60% in Virginia — lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
4.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$15,833
per pupil, district-wide
— below Virginia avg of $16,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 370 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 739 Top 72% in Virginia — larger than 28% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 50.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 97.9% +63% vs state
NCES ID 510267003018
Student demographics
White 49.4%
African American 30.2%
Two or More 8.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Asian 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 49.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 370:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 4.1%
In-school suspensions 14
Out-of-school suspensions 41
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Norfolk City Public Schools, which includes Academy for Discovery at Lakewood.
$15,833
Per student
-2%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.2%
Federal 19.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,585
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Norfolk
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella
Standard public school
686 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Lake Taylor
Standard public school
664 students 12:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Elementary
Standard public school
512 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Ghent K-8
Standard public school
501 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Tidewater Park Elementary
Standard public school
124 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Academy for Discovery at Lakewood
How many students attend Academy for Discovery at Lakewood?
Academy for Discovery at Lakewood has 739 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Norfolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy for Discovery at Lakewood?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy for Discovery at Lakewood is 14.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Academy for Discovery at Lakewood?
97.9% of students at Academy for Discovery at Lakewood are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy for Discovery at Lakewood?
The largest demographic group at Academy for Discovery at Lakewood is White at 49.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Norfolk, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy for Discovery at Lakewood?
Academy for Discovery at Lakewood has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.