Enrollment
616
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Portsmouth, VA
Cradock Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cradock Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510300001252
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cradock Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #10 of 13
- elementary schools in Portsmouth · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 97.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Cradock Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cradock Elementary ranks #10 of 13 elementary schools in Portsmouth, VA.
School address
District: Portsmouth City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510300001252 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cradock Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cradock Elementary
Cradock Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Portsmouth, Virginia, enrolling 616 students.
At 14.3:1, 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.
Economic need is high: 97.6% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 616 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 280 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #204, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 308 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 137 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 616 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Portsmouth's elementary schools, it stands alongside Churchland Elementary (721 students): Cradock Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 16.8:1).
Portsmouth City Public Schools also operates Churchland High (1,453 students) and Manor High (1,149 students) alongside Cradock 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 Cradock Elementary compares
Cradock 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.6% | ▲ 69% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 616 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
616
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 58% in Virginia - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.7%
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
$13,493
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 308 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.2 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
African American 66.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
White 9.4%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 66.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.3, Cradock 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 Portsmouth City Public Schools, which includes Cradock Elementary.
$13,493
Per student
-8%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.7%
State 54.9%
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 Cradock Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Churchland High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manor High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| I.C. Norcom High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Churchland Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Churchland Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cradock Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,453
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,149
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,009
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Portsmouth
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Churchland Elementary
Standard public school
721 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Churchland Academy Elementary
Standard public school
626 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Simonsdale Elementary
Standard public school
613 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Victory Elementary
Standard public school
586 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Waterview Elementary
Standard public school
576 students 14:1 students per teacher
Douglass Park Elementary
Standard public school
510 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~616 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cradock Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cradock Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Portsmouth City 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 Cradock Elementary
How many students attend Cradock Elementary?
Cradock Elementary has 616 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Portsmouth, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cradock Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cradock Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 3% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cradock Elementary?
97.6% of students at Cradock Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cradock Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cradock Elementary is African American at 66.6% of enrollment, in Portsmouth, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cradock Elementary?
Cradock Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Cradock Elementary rank among elementary schools in Portsmouth?
By Resource Investment Index, Cradock Elementary ranks #10 of 13 elementary schools in Portsmouth, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Portsmouth on the city page.
Is Cradock Elementary a good school?
Cradock Elementary earns 41/100 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 Portsmouth City Public Schools?
Besides Cradock Elementary, Portsmouth City Public Schools also operates Churchland High (1,453 students), Manor High (1,149 students), and I.C. Norcom High (1,009 students). See the Portsmouth City 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.