Enrollment
182
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Big Island, VA
Big Island Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Island Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510036000145
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Island Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Virginia.
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 69.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 182
- students enrolled
Big Island Elementary has class sizes larger than 99% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Bedford County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510036000145 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Island Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Island Elementary
Big Island Elementary is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Big Island, Virginia, enrolling 182 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.2:1 is larger than about 99% of Virginia schools and 45% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 69.1% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Virginia schools, with 182 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 56 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #33.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 182 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
12.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Bedford County Public Schools also operates Jefferson Forest High (1,282 students) and Forest Middle (854 students) alongside Big Island 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 Big Island Elementary compares
Big Island 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 | 20.2:1 | ▲ 45% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.1% | ▲ 20% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 182 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
182
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 45% above state mean
Top 99% in Virginia - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
12.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,790
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 182 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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
White 84.1%
Two or More 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
African American 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 84.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.4, Big Island Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bedford County Public Schools, which includes Big Island Elementary.
$12,790
Per student
-13%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.1%
State 52.1%
Federal 15.7%
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 Big Island Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Forest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Forest Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Staunton River High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Staunton River Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Island Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,282
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 816
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~182 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Island Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Big Island Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bedford 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 Big Island Elementary
How many students attend Big Island Elementary?
Big Island Elementary has 182 students enrolled. It is a public school in Big Island, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Island Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Island Elementary is 20.2:1, which is 45% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Island Elementary?
69.1% of students at Big Island Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Island Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Island Elementary is White at 84.1% of enrollment, in Big Island, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Island Elementary?
Big Island 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).
Is Big Island Elementary a good school?
Big Island Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Virginia. 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 Bedford County Public Schools?
Besides Big Island Elementary, Bedford County Public Schools also operates Jefferson Forest High (1,282 students), Forest Middle (854 students), and Staunton River High (816 students). See the Bedford 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.