Enrollment
1,106
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Newport News, VA
Heritage High
Federal NCES profile for Heritage High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510264001451
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heritage High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #4 of 5
- high schools in Newport News · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 85.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Heritage High has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage High ranks #4 of 5 high schools in Newport News, VA.
School address
District: Newport News City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510264001451 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heritage High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heritage High
Heritage High is a high-poverty, large high school in Newport News, Virginia, enrolling 1,106 students.
At 14:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 85.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,106 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 164 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #137, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 41/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 293 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,106 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Newport News's high schools, it stands alongside Woodside High (1,723 students): Heritage High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 15.5:1).
Newport News City Public Schools also operates Woodside High (1,723 students) and Menchville High (1,707 students) alongside Heritage High.
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 Heritage High compares
Heritage High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.1% | ▲ 48% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,106 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,106
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 53% in Virginia - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
54.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,115
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat 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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 41.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.4, Heritage High is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport News City Public Schools, which includes Heritage High.
$15,115
Per student
+3%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Heritage High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Menchville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Warwick High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Denbigh High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heritage High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,723
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,707
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,622
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,269
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,087
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 15.5:1 students per teacher
Menchville High
Standard public school
1,707 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Warwick High
Standard public school
1,622 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Denbigh High
Standard public school
1,269 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~1,106 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heritage High's federal record.
- Compare Heritage High against another school. Compare schools
- Newport News 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 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, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heritage High?
The largest demographic group at Heritage High is African American at 74.8% of enrollment, in Newport News, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heritage High?
Heritage High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Heritage High rank among high schools in Newport News?
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage High ranks #4 of 5 high schools in Newport News, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Newport News on the city page.
Is Heritage High a good school?
Heritage High earns 44/100 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 Newport News City Public Schools?
Besides Heritage High, Newport News City Public Schools also operates Woodside High (1,723 students), Menchville High (1,707 students), and Warwick High (1,622 students). See the Newport News 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.