Enrollment
634
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waynesboro, VA
Cassell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cassell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510030000118
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cassell Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #3 of 8
- public schools in Waynesboro · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 74.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cassell Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cassell Elementary ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Waynesboro, VA.
School address
District: Augusta County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510030000118 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.0%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cassell Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cassell Elementary
Cassell Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waynesboro, Virginia, enrolling 634 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 74.0% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 634 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 359 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #88.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Waynesboro's public schools, it stands alongside Wayne Hills Center (184 students): Cassell Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 13.1:1).
Augusta County Public Schools also operates Wilson Memorial High (837 students) and Edward G. Clymore Elementary (803 students) alongside Cassell 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 Cassell Elementary compares
Cassell 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.0% | ▲ 28% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 634 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
634
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 64% in Virginia - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.2%
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
$12,961
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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
White 84.9%
Two or More 7.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 2.7%
Largest group: White at 84.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.0, Cassell Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Augusta County Public Schools, which includes Cassell Elementary.
$12,961
Per student
-12%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.7%
State 45.2%
Federal 13.1%
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 Cassell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Memorial High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edward G. Clymore Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Defiance High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverheads Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stuarts Draft High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cassell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 837
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 714
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar other schools in Waynesboro
1 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 (~634 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cassell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cassell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Augusta 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 Cassell Elementary
How many students attend Cassell Elementary?
Cassell Elementary has 634 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waynesboro, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cassell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cassell Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 6% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cassell Elementary?
74.0% of students at Cassell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cassell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cassell Elementary is White at 84.9% of enrollment, in Waynesboro, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cassell Elementary?
Cassell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Cassell Elementary rank among public schools in Waynesboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Cassell Elementary ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Waynesboro, 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 Waynesboro on the city page.
Is Cassell Elementary a good school?
Cassell Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. 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 Augusta County Public Schools?
Besides Cassell Elementary, Augusta County Public Schools also operates Wilson Memorial High (837 students), Edward G. Clymore Elementary (803 students), and Fort Defiance High (731 students). See the Augusta 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.