2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510126000471

Forest Edge Elementary — Reston, VA

Federal NCES profile for Forest Edge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 59/100.

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0/100100/10059/100
👥 Class size
55
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
39
📋 Attendance
70
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 →

The verdict

Forest Edge Elementary earns a C Resource Investment Index (59/100), with class sizes smaller than 89% of Virginia schools.

C
Resource Index · 59/100
11.2:1
small classes for Virginia
65.3%
free-lunch eligible
454
students enrolled

School address

Reston, VA 20190
District: Fairfax County 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.

Enrollment

454

Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

40.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

11.2:1

vs 14:1 Virginia avg

-20% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

65.3%

vs 59.9% Virginia avg

+9% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Forest Edge Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:111.2:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

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

Forest Edge Elementary reports 454 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 20% below the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 29% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 65.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 9% above the Virginia average and 26% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 303 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil district-wide, above the Virginia average of $14,649 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 66.6% from local sources (property taxes), 23.3% from the state, and 10.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (C), 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 Forest Edge 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 11.2:1 ▼ 20% 14:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 65.3% ▲ 9% 59.9% 51.8%
Enrollment 454 top 35% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

11 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 84% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). This entry sits in this band. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Above this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

454 larger than 55% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Below this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). This entry sits in this band. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
65.3%
free-lunch eligible — 9% 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
11.2:1
students per teacher — 20% below state mean
Top 11% in Virginia — lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
12.1%
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
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide — above Virginia avg of $14,649
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 303 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 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 454 Top 35% in Virginia — larger than 65% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 11.2:1 -20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 65.3% +9% vs state
NCES ID 510126000471

Student demographics

African American 30.8%
White 30.6%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
Asian 8.1%
Two or More 5.7%

Largest group: African American at 30.8% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.5
Students per counselor 303:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 12.1%
In-school suspensions 12
Out-of-school suspensions 7

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Forest Edge 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.

Other Schools in This District

Fairfax County Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Reston

6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Dogwood Elementary
Standard public school
745 students 13:1 students per teacher
Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
Standard public school
726 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Lake Anne Elementary
Standard public school
616 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Terraset Elementary
Standard public school
598 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Sunrise Valley Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Aldrin Elementary
Standard public school
455 students 11.3:1 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 Forest Edge Elementary

How many students attend Forest Edge Elementary?

Forest Edge Elementary has 454 students enrolled. It is a other school in Reston, VA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Edge Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Forest Edge Elementary is 11.2:1, which is 20% lower than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 29% 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 Forest Edge Elementary?

65.3% of students at Forest Edge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Edge Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Forest Edge Elementary is African American at 30.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Reston, VA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Edge Elementary?

Forest Edge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (C) 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.

Is Forest Edge Elementary a good school?

Forest Edge Elementary earns a C Resource Investment Index (59/100), with class sizes smaller than 89% of Virginia schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov