Enrollment
473
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Radford, VA
Belle Heth Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Belle Heth Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510318001342
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belle Heth Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Virginia schools.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Radford · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 72.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Belle Heth Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Belle Heth Elementary ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Radford, VA.
School address
District: Radford City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510318001342 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belle Heth Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belle Heth Elementary
Belle Heth Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Radford, Virginia, enrolling 473 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 72.4% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 473 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 307 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #184.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 473 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Radford City Public Schools spends $10,348 per pupil, 29% below the Virginia average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Radford's elementary schools, it stands alongside Indian Valley Elementary (110 students): Belle Heth Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 11:1).
Radford City Public Schools also operates Radford City Virtual (1,694 students) and Radford High (506 students) alongside Belle Heth 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 Belle Heth Elementary compares
Belle Heth 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.4% | ▲ 26% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 473 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
473
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 80% in Virginia - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,348
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 473 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 68.3%
Two or More 11.8%
African American 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.2, Belle Heth Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Radford City Public Schools, which includes Belle Heth Elementary.
$10,348
Per student
-29%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 55.1%
Federal 10.4%
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 Belle Heth Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radford City Virtual | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Radford High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mcharg Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John N. Dalton Intermediate | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belle Heth Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,694
- Students per teacher
- -
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary schools in Radford
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~473 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belle Heth Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Belle Heth Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Radford City 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 Belle Heth Elementary
How many students attend Belle Heth Elementary?
Belle Heth Elementary has 473 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Radford, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belle Heth Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Belle Heth Elementary is 15.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Belle Heth Elementary?
72.4% of students at Belle Heth Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belle Heth Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Belle Heth Elementary is White at 68.3% of enrollment, in Radford, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belle Heth Elementary?
Belle Heth Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 Belle Heth Elementary rank among public schools in Radford?
By Resource Investment Index, Belle Heth Elementary ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Radford, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Radford on the city page.
Is Belle Heth Elementary a good school?
Belle Heth Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Virginia 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 Radford City Public Schools?
Besides Belle Heth Elementary, Radford City Public Schools also operates Radford City Virtual (1,694 students), Radford High (506 students), and Mcharg Elementary (383 students). See the Radford City 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.