Enrollment
1,269
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Newport News, VA
Denbigh High
Federal NCES profile for Denbigh High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510264001047
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Denbigh High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #3 of 5
- high schools in Newport News · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 65.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Denbigh High has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Denbigh High ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Newport News, VA.
School address
District: Newport News City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510264001047 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Denbigh High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Denbigh High
Denbigh High is a higher-need, large high school in Newport News, Virginia, enrolling 1,269 students.
At 13.9:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.4% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,269 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 79 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #60, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 423 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 343 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,269 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Newport News's high schools, it stands alongside Woodside High (1,723 students): Denbigh High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 15.5:1).
Newport News City Public Schools also operates Woodside High (1,723 students) and Menchville High (1,707 students) alongside Denbigh High.
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 Denbigh High compares
Denbigh High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.4% | ▲ 14% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,269 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,269
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 52% in Virginia - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.7%
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
$15,115
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 423 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
179
in-school suspensions + 164 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.0 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 48.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
White 20.3%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Denbigh High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport News City Public Schools, which includes Denbigh High.
$15,115
Per student
+3%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.8%
State 50.6%
Federal 17.7%
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 Denbigh High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Menchville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Warwick High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heritage High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Denbigh High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,723
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,707
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,622
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,106
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,087
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools in Newport News
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Woodside High
Standard public school
1,723 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Menchville High
Standard public school
1,707 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Warwick High
Standard public school
1,622 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Heritage High
Standard public school
1,106 students 14:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~1,269 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Denbigh High's federal record.
- Compare Denbigh High against another school. Compare schools
- Newport News 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 Denbigh High
How many students attend Denbigh High?
Denbigh High has 1,269 students enrolled. It is a high school in Newport News, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Denbigh High?
The student-teacher ratio at Denbigh High is 13.9:1, which is 0% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Denbigh High?
65.4% of students at Denbigh High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Denbigh High?
The largest demographic group at Denbigh High is African American at 48.5% of enrollment, in Newport News, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Denbigh High?
Denbigh High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Denbigh High rank among high schools in Newport News?
By Resource Investment Index, Denbigh High ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Newport News, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Newport News on the city page.
Is Denbigh High a good school?
Denbigh High earns 46/100 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 Newport News City Public Schools?
Besides Denbigh High, Newport News City Public Schools also operates Woodside High (1,723 students), Menchville High (1,707 students), and Warwick High (1,622 students). See the Newport News 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.