Enrollment
466
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lexington, VA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510337001479
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Lexington · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 69.7%
- 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 #4 of 5 public schools in Lexington, VA.
School address
District: Rockbridge County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510337001479 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+21% 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 higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lexington, Virginia, enrolling 466 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 69.7% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 466 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 273 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #206, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 466 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Rockbridge County Public Schools also operates Rockbridge County High (916 students) and Maury River Middle (481 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.7% | ▲ 21% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 466 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
466
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 34% in Virginia - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,936
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 466 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 79.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 3.6%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 79.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.3, Central Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rockbridge County Public Schools, which includes Central Elementary.
$13,936
Per student
-5%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 37.2%
Federal 12.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maury River Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairfield Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Natural Bridge Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View 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
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 230
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 154
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~466 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Rockbridge 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 466 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lexington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 12.9:1, which is 7% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 18% 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 Central Elementary?
69.7% 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 79.4% of enrollment, in Lexington, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Lexington?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Lexington, 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 Lexington on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 44/100 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 Rockbridge County Public Schools?
Besides Central Elementary, Rockbridge County Public Schools also operates Rockbridge County High (916 students), Maury River Middle (481 students), and Fairfield Elementary (241 students). See the Rockbridge 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.