Enrollment
530
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lorton, VA
Gunston Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Gunston Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510126000490
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gunston Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Lorton · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 32.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Gunston Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gunston Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Lorton, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126000490 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gunston Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gunston Elementary
Gunston Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lorton, Virginia, enrolling 530 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 530 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 298 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #189.
Its student body is led by White (30%) and African American (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 353 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Lorton's public schools, it stands alongside Lorton Station Elementary (745 students): Gunston Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 16.6:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Gunston 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 Gunston Elementary compares
Gunston 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.3% | ▼ 44% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 530 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
530
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 64% in Virginia - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 353 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 29.6%
African American 28.7%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Asian 14.5%
Two or More 7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 29.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.7, Gunston Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Gunston 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.
How Gunston Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gunston Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Lorton
2 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 (~530 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gunston Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Gunston Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax 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 Gunston Elementary
How many students attend Gunston Elementary?
Gunston Elementary has 530 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lorton, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gunston Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gunston Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 6% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gunston Elementary?
32.3% of students at Gunston Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gunston Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gunston Elementary is White at 29.6% of enrollment, in Lorton, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gunston Elementary?
Gunston Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Gunston Elementary rank among schools in Lorton?
By Resource Investment Index, Gunston Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Lorton, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lorton on the city page.
Is Gunston Elementary a good school?
Gunston Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Gunston Elementary, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax 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.