Enrollment
350
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lexington, VA
Harrington Waddell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Harrington Waddell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510222000905
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harrington Waddell Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Lexington · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 28.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Harrington Waddell Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harrington Waddell Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lexington, VA.
School address
District: Lexington City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510222000905 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harrington Waddell Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harrington Waddell Elementary
Harrington Waddell Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Lexington, Virginia, enrolling 350 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 350 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 111 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (7%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 350 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district, Lexington City Public Schools, also runs Lylburn Downing Middle (187 students).
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 Harrington Waddell Elementary compares
Harrington Waddell 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.7% | ▼ 50% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 63% in Virginia - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,783
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 350 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 76.0%
Two or More 7.1%
African American 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Asian 4.6%
Largest group: White at 76.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.8, Harrington Waddell Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lexington City Public Schools, which includes Harrington Waddell Elementary.
$13,783
Per student
-6%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 48.8%
Federal 10.3%
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 Harrington Waddell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lylburn Downing Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harrington Waddell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 187
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
Similar elementary 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 (~350 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harrington Waddell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Harrington Waddell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lexington 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 Harrington Waddell Elementary
How many students attend Harrington Waddell Elementary?
Harrington Waddell Elementary has 350 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lexington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harrington Waddell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Harrington Waddell Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 5% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harrington Waddell Elementary?
28.7% of students at Harrington Waddell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harrington Waddell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Harrington Waddell Elementary is White at 76.0% of enrollment, in Lexington, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harrington Waddell Elementary?
Harrington Waddell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Harrington Waddell Elementary rank among public schools in Lexington?
By Resource Investment Index, Harrington Waddell Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lexington, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lexington on the city page.
Is Harrington Waddell Elementary a good school?
Harrington Waddell Elementary earns 57/100 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 Lexington City Public Schools?
Besides Harrington Waddell Elementary, Lexington City Public Schools also operates Lylburn Downing Middle (187 students). See the Lexington 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.