Enrollment
307
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Amherst, VA
Amherst Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Amherst Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510021000067
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Amherst Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Amherst · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 78.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Amherst Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Amherst, VA.
School address
District: Amherst County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510021000067 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Amherst Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Amherst Elementary
Amherst Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Amherst, Virginia, enrolling 307 students.
At 13.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 307 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 251 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #89.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Amherst's public schools, it stands alongside Central Elementary (268 students): Amherst Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.3:1 vs 8.6:1).
Amherst County Public Schools also operates Amherst County High (1,240 students) and Monelison Middle (469 students) alongside Amherst Elementary.
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 Amherst Elementary compares
Amherst Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.1% | ▲ 36% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 307 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
307
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 42% in Virginia - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,028
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
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 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 62.9%
African American 15.0%
Two or More 11.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 62.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, Amherst Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amherst County Public Schools, which includes Amherst Elementary.
$13,028
Per student
-11%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.0%
State 58.7%
Federal 16.3%
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.
How Amherst Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monelison Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Heights Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Amelon Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Amherst Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Amherst Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,240
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Amherst
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~307 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Amherst Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Amherst Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Amherst County Public Schools'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 Amherst Elementary
How many students attend Amherst Elementary?
Amherst Elementary has 307 students enrolled. It is a public school in Amherst, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Amherst Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Amherst Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 4% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 15% 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 Amherst Elementary?
78.1% of students at Amherst Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Amherst Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Amherst Elementary is White at 62.9% of enrollment, in Amherst, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Amherst Elementary?
Amherst Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Amherst Elementary rank among schools in Amherst?
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Amherst, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Amherst on the city page.
Is Amherst Elementary a good school?
Amherst Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia 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 Amherst County Public Schools?
Besides Amherst Elementary, Amherst County Public Schools also operates Amherst County High (1,240 students), Monelison Middle (469 students), and Madison Heights Elementary (449 students). See the Amherst County Public Schools 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.