Enrollment
996
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Herndon, VA
Coates Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Coates Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510126002800
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Coates Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Virginia schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #10 of 10
- schools in Herndon · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 49.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Coates Elementary has class sizes larger than 96% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Coates Elementary ranks #10 of 10 schools in Herndon, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126002800 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Coates Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Coates Elementary
Coates Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Herndon, Virginia, enrolling 996 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.1:1 is larger than about 96% of Virginia schools and 30% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.6% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 996 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 143 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #138, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (33%) and African American (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 498 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Herndon's public schools, it stands alongside Hutchison Elementary (970 students): Coates Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 12.6:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Coates 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 Coates Elementary compares
Coates 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 30% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.6% | ▼ 14% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 996 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
996
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 96% in Virginia - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.2%
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
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 498 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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 32.6%
African American 27.4%
Asian 18.5%
White 16.6%
Two or More 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 32.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.5, Coates Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Coates Elementary.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
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 Coates Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Coates Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Herndon
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hutchison Elementary
Standard public school
970 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Herndon Elementary
Standard public school
792 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Floris Elementary
Standard public school
666 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Fox Mill Elementary
Standard public school
650 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
628 students 14:1 students per teacher
Dranesville Elementary
Standard public school
610 students 13.3:1 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 (~996 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Coates Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Coates Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax 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 Coates Elementary
How many students attend Coates Elementary?
Coates Elementary has 996 students enrolled. It is a public school in Herndon, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Coates Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Coates Elementary is 18.1:1, which is 30% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Coates Elementary?
49.6% of students at Coates Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Coates Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Coates Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 32.6% of enrollment, in Herndon, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Coates Elementary?
Coates Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Coates Elementary rank among schools in Herndon?
By Resource Investment Index, Coates Elementary ranks #10 of 10 schools in Herndon, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Herndon on the city page.
Is Coates Elementary a good school?
Coates Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Virginia schools. It is also more 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Coates Elementary, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax 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.