Enrollment
1,285
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chesapeake, VA
Hickory Middle
Federal NCES profile for Hickory Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510081000297
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hickory Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #5 of 10
- middle schools in Chesapeake · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 12.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Hickory Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Middle ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Chesapeake, VA.
School address
District: Chesapeake City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510081000297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hickory Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hickory Middle
Hickory Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Chesapeake, Virginia, enrolling 1,285 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.7% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the Virginia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,285 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 122 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #69.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 321 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chesapeake's middle schools, it stands alongside Great Bridge Middle (1,309 students): Hickory Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 15.4:1).
Chesapeake City Public Schools also operates Grassfield High (2,345 students) and Oscar F. Smith High (2,264 students) alongside Hickory Middle.
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 Middle compares
Hickory Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 5% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.7% | ▼ 78% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,285 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,285
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 40% in Virginia - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 321 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 75.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
Two or More 7.7%
African American 4.7%
Asian 3.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 75.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.0, Hickory Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesapeake City Public Schools, which includes Hickory Middle.
$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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oscar F. Smith High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Branch High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Deep Creek High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian River High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hickory Middle'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 middle schools in Chesapeake
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Great Bridge Middle
Standard public school
1,309 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Hugo a. Owens Middle
Standard public school
1,286 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Oscar Smith Middle
Standard public school
967 students 11:1 students per teacher
Western Branch Middle
Standard public school
855 students 13:1 students per teacher
Greenbrier Middle
Standard public school
788 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Deep Creek Middle
Standard public school
764 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,285 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hickory Middle's federal record.
- Compare Hickory Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend Hickory Middle?
Hickory Middle has 1,285 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chesapeake, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hickory Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Hickory Middle is 13.2:1, which is 5% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hickory Middle?
12.7% of students at Hickory Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hickory Middle?
The largest demographic group at Hickory Middle is White at 75.0% of enrollment, in Chesapeake, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hickory Middle?
Hickory Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Hickory Middle rank among middle schools in Chesapeake?
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Middle ranks #5 of 10 middle 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 middle schools in Chesapeake on the city page.
Is Hickory Middle a good school?
Hickory Middle earns 52/100 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 Middle, 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.