Enrollment
852
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mechanicsville, VA
Cool Spring Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cool Spring Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510183001617
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cool Spring Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Virginia schools.
- #10 of 10
- schools in Mechanicsville · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 10.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Cool Spring Elementary has class sizes larger than 95% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cool Spring Elementary ranks #10 of 10 schools in Mechanicsville, VA.
School address
District: Hanover County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510183001617 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cool Spring Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cool Spring Elementary
Cool Spring Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mechanicsville, Virginia, enrolling 852 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 95% of Virginia schools and 28% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.4% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the Virginia average.
Enrollment of 852 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 201 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #170, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 609 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Mechanicsville's public schools, it stands alongside Kersey Creek Elementary (672 students): Cool Spring Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 15.3:1).
Hanover County Public Schools also operates Atlee High (1,470 students) and Hanover High (1,349 students) alongside Cool Spring 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 Cool Spring Elementary compares
Cool Spring 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 28% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.4% | ▼ 82% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 852 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
852
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 95% in Virginia - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
2.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,547
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
Counselors1.4 FTE
Per 609 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 66.8%
Asian 13.4%
Two or More 9.3%
African American 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 66.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.1, Cool Spring Elementary is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hanover County Public Schools, which includes Cool Spring Elementary.
$12,547
Per student
-14%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 43.1%
Federal 11.8%
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 Cool Spring Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlee High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hanover High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Patrick Henry High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mechanicsville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chickahominy Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cool Spring Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 1,349
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 1,294
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 1,199
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Mechanicsville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Kersey Creek Elementary
Standard public school
672 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Rural Point Elementary
Standard public school
627 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Laurel Meadow Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Mechanicsville Elementary
Standard public school
572 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Pearson's Corner Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Pole Green Elementary
Standard public school
527 students 13.9:1 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 (~852 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cool Spring Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cool Spring Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hanover 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 Cool Spring Elementary
How many students attend Cool Spring Elementary?
Cool Spring Elementary has 852 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mechanicsville, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cool Spring Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cool Spring Elementary is 17.8:1, which is 28% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cool Spring Elementary?
10.4% of students at Cool Spring Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cool Spring Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cool Spring Elementary is White at 66.8% of enrollment, in Mechanicsville, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cool Spring Elementary?
Cool Spring Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Cool Spring Elementary rank among schools in Mechanicsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Cool Spring Elementary ranks #10 of 10 schools in Mechanicsville, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mechanicsville on the city page.
Is Cool Spring Elementary a good school?
Cool Spring Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of 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 Hanover County Public Schools?
Besides Cool Spring Elementary, Hanover County Public Schools also operates Atlee High (1,470 students), Hanover High (1,349 students), and Patrick Henry High (1,294 students). See the Hanover 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.