Enrollment
493
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · North Chesterfield, VA
Bellwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bellwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510084000315
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bellwood Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Virginia schools.
- #4 of 11
- schools in North Chesterfield · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 82.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Bellwood Elementary has class sizes smaller than 75% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bellwood Elementary ranks #4 of 11 schools in North Chesterfield, VA.
School address
District: Chesterfield County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510084000315 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.0%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bellwood Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bellwood Elementary
Bellwood Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in North Chesterfield, Virginia, enrolling 493 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 493 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 406 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #60.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 247 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among North Chesterfield's public schools, it stands alongside Beulah Elementary (902 students): Bellwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 13.1:1).
Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students) and Cosby High (2,507 students) alongside Bellwood 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 Bellwood Elementary compares
Bellwood 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.0% | ▲ 42% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 493 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
493
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 25% in Virginia - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.7%
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
$12,207
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 247 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 51.9%
African American 31.6%
White 10.8%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 2.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Bellwood Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield County Public Schools, which includes Bellwood Elementary.
$12,207
Per student
-17%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 47.1%
Federal 10.1%
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 Bellwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Dale High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cosby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lloyd C. Bird High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midlothian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bellwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,582
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,507
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,236
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in North Chesterfield
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Beulah Elementary
Standard public school
902 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
J.G. Hening Elementary
Standard public school
877 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Hopkins Road Elementary
Standard public school
776 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
A.M. Davis Elementary
Standard public school
708 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Providence Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
W.W. Gordon Elementary
Standard public school
628 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~493 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bellwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bellwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield 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 Bellwood Elementary
How many students attend Bellwood Elementary?
Bellwood Elementary has 493 students enrolled. It is a public school in North Chesterfield, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bellwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bellwood Elementary is 12.3:1, which is 12% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 22% 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 Bellwood Elementary?
82.0% of students at Bellwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bellwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bellwood Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 51.9% of enrollment, in North Chesterfield, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bellwood Elementary?
Bellwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Bellwood Elementary rank among schools in North Chesterfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Bellwood Elementary ranks #4 of 11 schools in North Chesterfield, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in North Chesterfield on the city page.
Is Bellwood Elementary a good school?
Bellwood Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Chesterfield County Public Schools?
Besides Bellwood Elementary, Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students), Cosby High (2,507 students), and Manchester High (2,236 students). See the Chesterfield County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.