Enrollment
180
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lynchburg, VA
Dearington Elementary/Innovation
Federal NCES profile for Dearington Elementary/Innovation, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 71/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510234002205
👥 S:T ratio 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dearington Elementary/Innovation earns 71/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Virginia.
- #1 of 14
- schools in Lynchburg · Resource Index
- 71
- Resource Index · Higher
- 4.9:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 96.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Dearington Elementary/Innovation has class sizes smaller than 99% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dearington Elementary/Innovation ranks #1 of 14 schools in Lynchburg, VA.
School address
District: Lynchburg City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510234002205 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-65% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dearington Elementary/Innovation compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dearington Elementary/Innovation
Dearington Elementary/Innovation is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Lynchburg, Virginia, enrolling 180 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.9:1, Dearington Elementary/Innovation is leaner than roughly 99% of Virginia schools and 65% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 96.3% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Virginia schools, with 180 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 79 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and White (16%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 180 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lynchburg's public schools, it stands alongside Tomahawk Elementary (667 students): Dearington Elementary/Innovation is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (4.9:1 vs 15.2:1).
Lynchburg City Public Schools also operates E.C. Glass High (1,220 students) and Heritage High (1,113 students) alongside Dearington Elementary/Innovation.
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 Dearington Elementary/Innovation compares
Dearington Elementary/Innovation on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 4.9:1 | ▼ 65% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.3% | ▲ 67% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 180 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.9:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
180
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
4.9:1
students per teacher
- 65% below state mean
Top 1% in Virginia - lower ratio than 100% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,211
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 180 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 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
African American 65.0%
White 16.1%
Two or More 11.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.4, Dearington Elementary/Innovation is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lynchburg City Public Schools, which includes Dearington Elementary/Innovation.
$15,211
Per student
+4%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.2%
State 50.0%
Federal 16.8%
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 Dearington Elementary/Innovation Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| E.C. Glass High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heritage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sandusky Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle for Innovation | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Linkhorne Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dearington Elementary/Innovation's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,220
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,113
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Lynchburg
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Tomahawk Elementary
Standard public school
667 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Leesville Road Elementary
Standard public school
646 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
448 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Sheffield Elementary
Standard public school
443 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Robert S. Payne Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Bedford Hills Elementary
Standard public school
402 students 12.2:1 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 (~180 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~4.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dearington Elementary/Innovation's federal record.
- Compare Dearington Elementary/Innovation against another school. Compare schools
- Lynchburg 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 Dearington Elementary/Innovation
How many students attend Dearington Elementary/Innovation?
Dearington Elementary/Innovation has 180 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lynchburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dearington Elementary/Innovation?
The student-teacher ratio at Dearington Elementary/Innovation is 4.9:1, which is 65% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 69% 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 Dearington Elementary/Innovation?
96.3% of students at Dearington Elementary/Innovation are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dearington Elementary/Innovation?
The largest demographic group at Dearington Elementary/Innovation is African American at 65.0% of enrollment, in Lynchburg, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dearington Elementary/Innovation?
Dearington Elementary/Innovation has a Resource Investment Index of 71/100 (higher 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 Dearington Elementary/Innovation rank among schools in Lynchburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Dearington Elementary/Innovation ranks #1 of 14 schools in Lynchburg, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lynchburg on the city page.
Is Dearington Elementary/Innovation a good school?
Dearington Elementary/Innovation earns 71/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Virginia. 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 Lynchburg City Public Schools?
Besides Dearington Elementary/Innovation, Lynchburg City Public Schools also operates E.C. Glass High (1,220 students), Heritage High (1,113 students), and Sandusky Middle (583 students). See the Lynchburg 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.