Enrollment
1,106
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 510264001451
Heritage High — Newport News, VA
Federal NCES profile for Heritage High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 44
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
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: Newport News City 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)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.1%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heritage High 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
Heritage High reports 1,106 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 79.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% 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 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 85.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 42% above the Virginia average and 64% above the national baseline. The school offers 12 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 277 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 54.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Newport News City Public Schools spends $16,409 per pupil district-wide, above the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 31.8% from local sources (property taxes), 50.6% from the state, and 17.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 5 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 Heritage High 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.1% | ▲ 42% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,106 | top 88% | — | — |
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
85.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 42% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
— 1% above state mean
Top 54% in Virginia — lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
54.0%
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
$16,409
per pupil, district-wide
— above Virginia avg of $16,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 277 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
115
in-school suspensions + 178 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,106 Top 88% in Virginia — larger than 12% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 79.0
Students per teacher 14.1:1 +1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 85.1% +42% vs state
NCES ID 510264001451
Student demographics
African American 74.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 5.2%
White 5.1%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 74.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 277:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 54.0%
In-school suspensions 115
Out-of-school suspensions 178
Expulsions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport News City Public Schools, which includes Heritage High.
$16,409
Per student
+1%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 31.8%
State 50.6%
Federal 17.7%
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
- 1,723
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,707
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,622
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,269
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,087
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
Similar high schools in Newport News
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Woodside High
Standard public school
1,723 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Menchville High
Standard public school
1,707 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Warwick High
Standard public school
1,622 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Denbigh High
Standard public school
1,269 students 13.5:1 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 Heritage High
How many students attend Heritage High?
Heritage High has 1,106 students enrolled. It is a high school in Newport News, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heritage High?
The student-teacher ratio at Heritage High is 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Heritage High?
85.1% of students at Heritage High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heritage High?
The largest demographic group at Heritage High is African American at 74.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Newport News, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heritage High?
Heritage High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.