Enrollment
535
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Christiansburg, VA
Falling Branch Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Falling Branch Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510252000178
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Falling Branch Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Christiansburg · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 47.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Falling Branch Elementary has class sizes smaller than 73% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Falling Branch Elementary ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Christiansburg, VA.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510252000178 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Falling Branch Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Falling Branch Elementary
Falling Branch Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Christiansburg, Virginia, enrolling 535 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.4% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 535 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 182 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 268 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Christiansburg's public schools, it stands alongside Christiansburg Primary (346 students): Falling Branch Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.4:1 vs 10.2:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Blacksburg High (1,325 students) and Christiansburg High (1,072 students) alongside Falling Branch 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 Falling Branch Elementary compares
Falling Branch 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 11% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.4% | ▼ 18% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 535 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 27% in Virginia - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,803
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 268 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 73.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
Two or More 7.7%
African American 6.0%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.4, Falling Branch Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Falling Branch Elementary.
$13,803
Per student
-6%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.4%
State 48.5%
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 Falling Branch Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Christiansburg High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blacksburg Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Christiansburg Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Auburn Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Falling Branch Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,325
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 958
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other schools in Christiansburg
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~535 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Falling Branch Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Falling Branch Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery 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 Falling Branch Elementary
How many students attend Falling Branch Elementary?
Falling Branch Elementary has 535 students enrolled. It is a public school in Christiansburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Falling Branch Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Falling Branch Elementary is 12.4:1, which is 11% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 21% 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 Falling Branch Elementary?
47.4% of students at Falling Branch Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Falling Branch Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Falling Branch Elementary is White at 73.6% of enrollment, in Christiansburg, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Falling Branch Elementary?
Falling Branch Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Falling Branch Elementary rank among public schools in Christiansburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Falling Branch Elementary ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Christiansburg, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Christiansburg on the city page.
Is Falling Branch Elementary a good school?
Falling Branch Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Falling Branch Elementary, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Blacksburg High (1,325 students), Christiansburg High (1,072 students), and Blacksburg Middle (958 students). See the Montgomery 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.