Enrollment
270
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Covington, VA
Callaghan Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Callaghan Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510015201885
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Callaghan Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Covington · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 75.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Callaghan Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Callaghan Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Covington, VA.
School address
District: Alleghany Highlands Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510015201885 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Callaghan Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Callaghan Elementary
Callaghan Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Covington, Virginia, enrolling 270 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 270 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 176 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #176, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 540 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Covington's public schools, it stands alongside Jeter-Watson Elementary (491 students): Callaghan Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 12:1).
Alleghany Highlands Public Schools also operates Alleghany High (818 students) and Clifton Middle (594 students) alongside Callaghan 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 Callaghan Elementary compares
Callaghan 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.7% | ▲ 31% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in Virginia - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.4%
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
$13,593
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 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
White 90.0%
Two or More 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
African American 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 90.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.7, Callaghan Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alleghany Highlands Public Schools, which includes Callaghan Elementary.
$13,593
Per student
-7%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.4%
State 53.3%
Federal 11.3%
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 Callaghan Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alleghany High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clifton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jeter-Watson Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Covington High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Callaghan Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Covington
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~270 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Callaghan Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Callaghan Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alleghany Highlands 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 Callaghan Elementary
How many students attend Callaghan Elementary?
Callaghan Elementary has 270 students enrolled. It is a public school in Covington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Callaghan Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Callaghan Elementary is 15.9:1, 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 Callaghan Elementary?
75.7% of students at Callaghan Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Callaghan Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Callaghan Elementary is White at 90.0% of enrollment, in Covington, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Callaghan Elementary?
Callaghan Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Callaghan Elementary rank among schools in Covington?
By Resource Investment Index, Callaghan Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Covington, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Covington on the city page.
Is Callaghan Elementary a good school?
Callaghan Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Alleghany Highlands Public Schools?
Besides Callaghan Elementary, Alleghany Highlands Public Schools also operates Alleghany High (818 students), Clifton Middle (594 students), and Jeter-Watson Elementary (491 students). See the Alleghany Highlands 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.