Enrollment
589
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alexandria, VA
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ferdinand T. Day Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510012003053
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Virginia schools.
- #6 of 42
- schools in Alexandria · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 86.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferdinand T. Day Elementary ranks #6 of 42 schools in Alexandria, VA.
School address
District: Alexandria City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510012003053 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.8%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferdinand T. Day Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Alexandria, Virginia, enrolling 589 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 86.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 589 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 447 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #53.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (39%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Alexandria City Public Schools spends $20,887 per pupil, 43% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Alexandria's public schools, it stands alongside Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students): Ferdinand T. Day Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12:1 vs 17.3:1).
Alexandria City Public Schools also operates Alexandria City High School (4,655 students) and Francis C. Hammond Middle (1,597 students) alongside Ferdinand T. Day 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 Ferdinand T. Day Elementary compares
Ferdinand T. Day 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.8% | ▲ 51% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 589 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
589
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 21% in Virginia - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$20,887
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 196 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 39.4%
African American 30.4%
White 16.5%
Asian 11.2%
Two or More 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.2, Ferdinand T. Day Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alexandria City Public Schools, which includes Ferdinand T. Day Elementary.
$20,887
Per student
+43%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.8%
State 17.5%
Federal 11.7%
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 Ferdinand T. Day Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francis C. Hammond Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| George Washington Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Patrick Henry K-8 School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Vernon Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ferdinand T. Day Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,655
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 72/100
- Enrollment
- 1,458
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Alexandria
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hayfield Secondary
Standard public school
3,256 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Patrick Henry K-8 School
Standard public school
1,075 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Parklawn Elementary
Standard public school
963 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Mount Vernon Elementary
Standard public school
933 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Hybla Valley Elementary
Standard public school
878 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
James K. Polk Elementary
Standard public school
804 students 15.2:1 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 (~589 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferdinand T. Day Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ferdinand T. Day Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alexandria 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 Ferdinand T. Day Elementary
How many students attend Ferdinand T. Day Elementary?
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary has 589 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alexandria, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary is 12:1, which is 14% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 24% 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 Ferdinand T. Day Elementary?
86.8% of students at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferdinand T. Day Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 39.4% of enrollment, in Alexandria, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferdinand T. Day Elementary?
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Ferdinand T. Day Elementary rank among schools in Alexandria?
By Resource Investment Index, Ferdinand T. Day Elementary ranks #6 of 42 schools in Alexandria, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Alexandria on the city page.
Is Ferdinand T. Day Elementary a good school?
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Alexandria City Public Schools?
Besides Ferdinand T. Day Elementary, Alexandria City Public Schools also operates Alexandria City High School (4,655 students), Francis C. Hammond Middle (1,597 students), and George Washington Middle (1,458 students). See the Alexandria 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.