Enrollment
850
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Hampton, VA
Benjamin Syms Middle
Federal NCES profile for Benjamin Syms Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510180000730
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benjamin Syms Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #5 of 5
- middle schools in Hampton · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 68.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Benjamin Syms Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Syms Middle ranks #5 of 5 middle schools in Hampton, VA.
School address
District: Hampton City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510180000730 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benjamin Syms Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benjamin Syms Middle
Benjamin Syms Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Hampton, Virginia, enrolling 850 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 68.7% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 850 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 217 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #200, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and White (29%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 425 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hampton's middle schools, it stands alongside Cesar Tarrant Middle (737 students): Benjamin Syms Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 15.7:1).
Hampton City Public Schools also operates Bethel High (1,769 students) and Kecoughtan High (1,553 students) alongside Benjamin Syms Middle.
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 Benjamin Syms Middle compares
Benjamin Syms Middle 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 | 68.7% | ▲ 19% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 850 | top 21% | - | - |
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.
850
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
30.6%
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
$13,463
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 425 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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
African American 49.9%
White 28.8%
Two or More 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Benjamin Syms Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hampton City Public Schools, which includes Benjamin Syms Middle.
$13,463
Per student
-8%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 51.0%
Federal 17.4%
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 Benjamin Syms Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kecoughtan High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George P. Phenix Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Phoebus High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hampton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benjamin Syms Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,769
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,553
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,438
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,301
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle schools in Hampton
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Cesar Tarrant Middle
Standard public school
737 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Francis W. Jones Magnet Middle
Standard public school
613 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
C. Alton Lindsay Middle
Standard public school
612 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Thomas Eaton Middle
Standard public school
581 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~850 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benjamin Syms Middle's federal record.
- Compare Benjamin Syms Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Hampton 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 Benjamin Syms Middle
How many students attend Benjamin Syms Middle?
Benjamin Syms Middle has 850 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Hampton, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Syms Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Syms Middle 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 Benjamin Syms Middle?
68.7% of students at Benjamin Syms Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benjamin Syms Middle?
The largest demographic group at Benjamin Syms Middle is African American at 49.9% of enrollment, in Hampton, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benjamin Syms Middle?
Benjamin Syms Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Benjamin Syms Middle rank among middle schools in Hampton?
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Syms Middle ranks #5 of 5 middle schools in Hampton, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Hampton on the city page.
Is Benjamin Syms Middle a good school?
Benjamin Syms Middle earns 39/100 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 Hampton City Public Schools?
Besides Benjamin Syms Middle, Hampton City Public Schools also operates Bethel High (1,769 students), Kecoughtan High (1,553 students), and George P. Phenix Elementary (1,438 students). See the Hampton 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.