Enrollment
926
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510371001615
Florence Bowser Elementary — Suffolk, VA
Federal NCES profile for Florence Bowser Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 59
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Suffolk City Public Schools · Virginia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.4%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Florence Bowser Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Florence Bowser Elementary reports 926 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 48.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% above the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 64.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% above the Virginia average and 24% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 463 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 16.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Suffolk City Public Schools spends $14,809 per pupil district-wide, below the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.0% from local sources (property taxes), 47.5% from the state, and 12.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Florence Bowser Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 24% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.4% | ▲ 8% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 926 | top 83% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
64.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% above the Virginia average of 59.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
— 24% above state mean
Top 94% in Virginia — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$14,809
per pupil, district-wide
— below Virginia avg of $16,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 463 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 926 Top 83% in Virginia — larger than 17% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 48.0
Students per teacher 17.3:1 +24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 64.4% +8% vs state
NCES ID 510371001615
Student demographics
African American 38.7%
White 37.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 38.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 463:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 16.4%
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 28
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Suffolk City Public Schools, which includes Florence Bowser Elementary.
$14,809
Per student
-9%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 47.5%
Federal 12.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,686
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,683
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
Similar other schools in Suffolk
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Northern Shores Elementary
Standard public school
798 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Hillpoint Elementary
Standard public school
780 students 16:1 students per teacher
Creekside Elementary
Standard public school
764 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 14:1 students per teacher
Elephant'S Fork Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Southwestern Elementary
Standard public school
579 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Florence Bowser Elementary
How many students attend Florence Bowser Elementary?
Florence Bowser Elementary has 926 students enrolled. It is a other school in Suffolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Florence Bowser Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Florence Bowser Elementary is 17.3:1, which is 24% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Florence Bowser Elementary?
64.4% of students at Florence Bowser Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Florence Bowser Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Florence Bowser Elementary is African American at 38.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Suffolk, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Florence Bowser Elementary?
Florence Bowser Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.