Enrollment
667
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Galax, VA
Galax Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Galax Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510156000665
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Galax Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Galax · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 96.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Galax Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Galax Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Galax, VA.
School address
District: Galax City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510156000665 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Galax Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Galax Elementary
Galax Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Galax, Virginia, enrolling 667 students.
At 14.2:1, 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 is high: 96.2% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 667 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 273 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #53.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 334 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 23.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Galax's public schools, it stands alongside Gladeville Elementary (259 students): Galax Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.2:1 vs 13.6:1).
Galax City Public Schools also operates Galax High (432 students) and Galax Middle (335 students) alongside Galax 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 Galax Elementary compares
Galax 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.2% | ▲ 67% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 667 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
667
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 56% in Virginia - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,523
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 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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
White 59.1%
Hispanic or Latino 31.5%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 3.9%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Galax Elementary is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Galax City Public Schools, which includes Galax Elementary.
$13,523
Per student
-8%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 52.0%
Federal 23.4%
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 Galax Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galax High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Galax Middle | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Galax Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Galax
3 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 (~667 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Galax Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Galax Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Galax 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 Galax Elementary
How many students attend Galax Elementary?
Galax Elementary has 667 students enrolled. It is a public school in Galax, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Galax Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Galax Elementary is 14.2:1, which is 2% 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 Galax Elementary?
96.2% of students at Galax Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Galax Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Galax Elementary is White at 59.1% of enrollment, in Galax, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Galax Elementary?
Galax Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Galax Elementary rank among schools in Galax?
By Resource Investment Index, Galax Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Galax, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Galax on the city page.
Is Galax Elementary a good school?
Galax Elementary earns 53/100 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 Galax City Public Schools?
Besides Galax Elementary, Galax City Public Schools also operates Galax High (432 students) and Galax Middle (335 students). See the Galax 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.