Enrollment
534
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arlington, VA
Carlin Springs Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carlin Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510027000093
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carlin Springs Elementary earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Virginia schools.
- #14 of 26
- schools in Arlington · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.7:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 76.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Carlin Springs Elementary has class sizes smaller than 96% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carlin Springs Elementary ranks #14 of 26 schools in Arlington, VA.
School address
District: Arlington County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510027000093 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carlin Springs Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carlin Springs Elementary
Carlin Springs Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Arlington, Virginia, enrolling 534 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.7:1, Carlin Springs Elementary is leaner than roughly 96% of Virginia schools and 30% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 534 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.
Among 410 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 334 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Arlington County Public Schools spends $21,782 per pupil, 49% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Arlington's public schools, it stands alongside Abingdon Elementary (768 students): Carlin Springs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.7:1 vs 12.4:1).
Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students) and Wakefield High (2,646 students) alongside Carlin Springs 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 Carlin Springs Elementary compares
Carlin Springs 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 | 9.7:1 | ▼ 30% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.6% | ▲ 33% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 534 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
534
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 4% in Virginia - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
10.5%
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
$21,782
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
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 76.6%
African American 9.2%
Asian 8.2%
White 3.6%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.6, Carlin Springs Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arlington County Public Schools, which includes Carlin Springs Elementary.
$21,782
Per student
+49%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.4%
State 12.4%
Federal 8.2%
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 Carlin Springs Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Liberty High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wakefield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yorktown High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gunston Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carlin Springs Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,044
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 2,646
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,593
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
Similar other schools in Arlington
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Abingdon Elementary
Standard public school
768 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Oakridge Elementary
Standard public school
636 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Arlington Science Focus School
Standard public school
632 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Alice West Fleet Elementary
Standard public school
629 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
Arlington Traditional
Standard public school
624 students 13:1 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 (~534 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carlin Springs Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carlin Springs Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Arlington 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 Carlin Springs Elementary
How many students attend Carlin Springs Elementary?
Carlin Springs Elementary has 534 students enrolled. It is a public school in Arlington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carlin Springs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carlin Springs Elementary is 9.7:1, which is 30% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 38% 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 Carlin Springs Elementary?
76.6% of students at Carlin Springs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carlin Springs Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carlin Springs Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 76.6% of enrollment, in Arlington, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carlin Springs Elementary?
Carlin Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (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 Carlin Springs Elementary rank among schools in Arlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Carlin Springs Elementary ranks #14 of 26 schools in Arlington, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Arlington on the city page.
Is Carlin Springs Elementary a good school?
Carlin Springs Elementary earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Arlington County Public Schools?
Besides Carlin Springs Elementary, Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students), Wakefield High (2,646 students), and Yorktown High (2,593 students). See the Arlington 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.