Enrollment
1,600
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Chesapeake, VA
Hickory High
Federal NCES profile for Hickory High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 70/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510081001482
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hickory High earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #1 of 7
- high schools in Chesapeake · Resource Index
- 70
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 10.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hickory High has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory High ranks #1 of 7 high schools in Chesapeake, VA.
School address
District: Chesapeake City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510081001482 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
107.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hickory High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hickory High
Hickory High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Chesapeake, Virginia, enrolling 1,600 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.1% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the Virginia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,600 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 85 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 43/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 229 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Chesapeake's high schools, it stands alongside Grassfield High (2,345 students): Hickory High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15:1 vs 15.6:1).
Chesapeake City Public Schools also operates Grassfield High (2,345 students) and Oscar F. Smith High (2,264 students) alongside Hickory 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 Hickory High compares
Hickory 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.1% | ▼ 82% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,600 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,600
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 68% in Virginia - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,740
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 229 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
57
in-school suspensions + 65 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 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 74.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 4.9%
Asian 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 74.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.2, Hickory High is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesapeake City Public Schools, which includes Hickory High.
$13,740
Per student
-6%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 42.6%
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 Hickory High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oscar F. Smith High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Branch High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Deep Creek High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indian River High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hickory High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,345
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 2,264
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,138
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,691
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar high schools in Chesapeake
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Grassfield High
Standard public school
2,345 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Oscar F. Smith High
Standard public school
2,264 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Western Branch High
Standard public school
2,138 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Deep Creek High
Standard public school
1,691 students 15:1 students per teacher
Indian River High
Standard public school
1,634 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Great Bridge High
Standard public school
1,491 students 13.6:1 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 (~1,600 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hickory High's federal record.
- Compare Hickory High against another school. Compare schools
- Chesapeake 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 Hickory High
How many students attend Hickory High?
Hickory High has 1,600 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chesapeake, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hickory High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hickory High is 15:1, which is 8% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hickory High?
10.1% of students at Hickory High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hickory High?
The largest demographic group at Hickory High is White at 74.1% of enrollment, in Chesapeake, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hickory High?
Hickory High has a Resource Investment Index of 70/100 (higher 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 Hickory High rank among high schools in Chesapeake?
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory High ranks #1 of 7 high schools in Chesapeake, 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 Chesapeake on the city page.
Is Hickory High a good school?
Hickory High earns 70/100 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 Chesapeake City Public Schools?
Besides Hickory High, Chesapeake City Public Schools also operates Grassfield High (2,345 students), Oscar F. Smith High (2,264 students), and Western Branch High (2,138 students). See the Chesapeake 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.