Enrollment
745
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Reston, VA
Dogwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dogwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510126000458
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dogwood Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #8 of 8
- schools in Reston · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 82.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Dogwood Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dogwood Elementary ranks #8 of 8 schools in Reston, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126000458 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dogwood Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dogwood Elementary
Dogwood Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Reston, Virginia, enrolling 745 students.
At 14.1:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 745 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 345 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #232.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.2% 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 Reston's public schools, it stands alongside Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences (726 students): Dogwood Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 16.1:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Dogwood 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 Dogwood Elementary compares
Dogwood 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.2% | ▲ 43% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 745 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
745
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 55% in Virginia - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.2%
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 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 58.9%
African American 14.0%
White 11.7%
Asian 10.3%
Two or More 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.7, Dogwood 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 Dogwood 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 Dogwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dogwood 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 Reston
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
Standard public school
726 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Lake Anne Elementary
Standard public school
616 students 14:1 students per teacher
Terraset Elementary
Standard public school
598 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Sunrise Valley Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Aldrin Elementary
Standard public school
455 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Forest Edge Elementary
Standard public school
454 students 11.3:1 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 (~745 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dogwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dogwood 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 Dogwood Elementary
How many students attend Dogwood Elementary?
Dogwood Elementary has 745 students enrolled. It is a public school in Reston, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dogwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dogwood Elementary is 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dogwood Elementary?
82.2% of students at Dogwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dogwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dogwood Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 58.9% of enrollment, in Reston, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dogwood Elementary?
Dogwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Dogwood Elementary rank among schools in Reston?
By Resource Investment Index, Dogwood Elementary ranks #8 of 8 schools in Reston, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Reston on the city page.
Is Dogwood Elementary a good school?
Dogwood Elementary earns 45/100 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Dogwood 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.