Enrollment
970
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chester, VA
Carver Middle
Federal NCES profile for Carver Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510084000321
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carver Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #9 of 11
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 80.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Carver Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carver Middle ranks #9 of 11 public schools in Chester, VA.
School address
District: Chesterfield County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510084000321 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carver Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carver Middle
Carver Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Chester, Virginia, enrolling 970 students.
At 13.7:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 970 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 223 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #151.
Its student body is led by African American (52%) and White (24%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 272 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 970 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chester's middle schools, it stands alongside Elizabeth Davis Middle (1,364 students): Carver Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 15.7:1).
Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students) and Cosby High (2,507 students) alongside Carver 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 Carver Middle compares
Carver 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.3% | ▲ 39% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 970 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
970
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 49% in Virginia - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.1%
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
$12,207
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
Counselors3.5 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
132
in-school suspensions + 140 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 51.9%
White 24.4%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.2, Carver Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield County Public Schools, which includes Carver Middle.
$12,207
Per student
-17%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 47.1%
Federal 10.1%
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 Carver Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Dale High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cosby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lloyd C. Bird High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midlothian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carver Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,582
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,507
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,236
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools in Chester
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~970 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carver Middle's federal record.
- Compare Carver Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield 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 Carver Middle
How many students attend Carver Middle?
Carver Middle has 970 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chester, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carver Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Carver Middle is 13.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 13% 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 Carver Middle?
80.3% of students at Carver Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carver Middle?
The largest demographic group at Carver Middle is African American at 51.9% of enrollment, in Chester, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carver Middle?
Carver Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Carver Middle rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Carver Middle ranks #9 of 11 public schools in Chester, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chester on the city page.
Is Carver Middle a good school?
Carver Middle earns 45/100 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 Chesterfield County Public Schools?
Besides Carver Middle, Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students), Cosby High (2,507 students), and Manchester High (2,236 students). See the Chesterfield 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.