Enrollment
420
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Richmond, VA
Blackwell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Blackwell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510324001357
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blackwell Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #41 of 63
- schools in Richmond · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 98.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Blackwell Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blackwell Elementary ranks #41 of 63 schools in Richmond, VA.
School address
District: Richmond City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510324001357 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blackwell Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blackwell Elementary
Blackwell Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Richmond, Virginia, enrolling 420 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 98.2% of students qualify for free meals, 70% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 420 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #153.
Its student body is led by African American (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 210 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Richmond City Public Schools spends $21,583 per pupil, 47% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Richmond's public schools, it stands alongside Elizabeth Holladay Elementary (859 students): Blackwell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 16.2:1).
Richmond City Public Schools also operates Huguenot High (1,469 students) and River City Middle (1,150 students) alongside Blackwell 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 Blackwell Elementary compares
Blackwell 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.2% | ▲ 70% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 420 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
420
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Virginia - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.5%
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
$21,583
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 210 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.1 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 76.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.9%
White 2.4%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 76.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.9, Blackwell Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richmond City Public Schools, which includes Blackwell Elementary.
$21,583
Per student
+47%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 34.3%
Federal 25.7%
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 Blackwell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huguenot High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| River City Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George Wythe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cardinal Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blackwell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,469
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,150
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 821
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 749
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Richmond
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Elizabeth Holladay Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Falling Creek Elementary
Standard public school
823 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
821 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Maybeury Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Dumbarton Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Tuckahoe Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 16.6:1 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 (~420 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blackwell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Blackwell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richmond 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 Blackwell Elementary
How many students attend Blackwell Elementary?
Blackwell Elementary has 420 students enrolled. It is a public school in Richmond, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blackwell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Blackwell Elementary is 14.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blackwell Elementary?
98.2% of students at Blackwell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blackwell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Blackwell Elementary is African American at 76.9% of enrollment, in Richmond, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blackwell Elementary?
Blackwell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Blackwell Elementary rank among schools in Richmond?
By Resource Investment Index, Blackwell Elementary ranks #41 of 63 schools in Richmond, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Richmond on the city page.
Is Blackwell Elementary a good school?
Blackwell Elementary earns 46/100 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 Richmond City Public Schools?
Besides Blackwell Elementary, Richmond City Public Schools also operates Huguenot High (1,469 students), River City Middle (1,150 students), and George Wythe High (1,116 students). See the Richmond 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.