Enrollment
526
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510189001128
Henry D. Ward Elementary — Richmond, VA
Federal NCES profile for Henry D. Ward Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 49
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: Henrico 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.
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.6%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Henry D. Ward 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
Henry D. Ward Elementary reports 526 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 32.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% 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 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 89.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% above the Virginia average and 73% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 263 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Henrico County Public Schools spends $14,785 per pupil district-wide, below the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 50.5% from local sources (property taxes), 42.1% from the state, and 7.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Henry D. Ward 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.6% | ▲ 50% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 526 | top 46% | — | — |
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
89.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 50% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
— 5% above state mean
Top 65% in Virginia — lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
20.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,785
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 263 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 526 Top 46% in Virginia — larger than 54% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 32.0
Students per teacher 14.7:1 +5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 89.6% +50% vs state
NCES ID 510189001128
Student demographics
African American 72.6%
White 16.2%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Largest group: African American at 72.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 263:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.5%
In-school suspensions 13
Out-of-school suspensions 59
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Henrico County Public Schools, which includes Henry D. Ward Elementary.
$14,785
Per student
-9%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 50.5%
State 42.1%
Federal 7.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,132
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,992
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,939
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,928
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,881
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
Similar other schools in Richmond
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Elizabeth Holladay Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 15:1 students per teacher
Falling Creek Elementary
Standard public school
823 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
821 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Maybeury Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Dumbarton Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 15:1 students per teacher
Tuckahoe Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 15.9:1 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 Henry D. Ward Elementary
How many students attend Henry D. Ward Elementary?
Henry D. Ward Elementary has 526 students enrolled. It is a other school in Richmond, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Henry D. Ward Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Henry D. Ward Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 5% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Henry D. Ward Elementary?
89.6% of students at Henry D. Ward Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Henry D. Ward Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Henry D. Ward Elementary is African American at 72.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Richmond, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Henry D. Ward Elementary?
Henry D. Ward Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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.