Enrollment
751
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Palmyra, VA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510138002868
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Palmyra · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 47.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Palmyra, VA.
School address
District: Fluvanna County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510138002868 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Palmyra, Virginia, enrolling 751 students.
At 13.9:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.6% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 751 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 199 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #186, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 751 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Palmyra's public schools, it stands alongside Fluvanna County High (1,362 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.9:1 vs 13.4:1).
Fluvanna County Public Schools also operates Fluvanna County High (1,362 students) and Fluvanna Middle (745 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.6% | ▼ 17% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 751 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
751
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 52% in Virginia - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.9%
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
$13,400
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 751 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 60.3%
African American 14.8%
Two or More 14.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 60.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.4, Central Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fluvanna County Public Schools, which includes Central Elementary.
$13,400
Per student
-9%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 49.8%
Federal 11.7%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluvanna County High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fluvanna Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carysbrook Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,362
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 745
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Palmyra
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 (~751 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fluvanna 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 751 students enrolled. It is a public school in Palmyra, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 13.9:1, which is 0% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
47.6% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 60.3% of enrollment, in Palmyra, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Central Elementary rank among public schools in Palmyra?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Palmyra, 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 Palmyra on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 38/100 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 Fluvanna County Public Schools?
Besides Central Elementary, Fluvanna County Public Schools also operates Fluvanna County High (1,362 students), Fluvanna Middle (745 students), and Carysbrook Elementary (457 students). See the Fluvanna 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.