Enrollment
510
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sterling, VA
Horizon Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510225001914
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #13 of 14
- schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 18.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Elementary ranks #13 of 14 schools in Sterling, VA.
School address
District: Loudoun County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510225001914 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon Elementary
Horizon Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sterling, Virginia, enrolling 510 students.
At 13.4:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.7% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Virginia average.
With 510 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 234 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #177, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 510 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Loudoun County Public Schools spends $18,953 per pupil, 29% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Sterling's public schools, it stands alongside Dominion High (1,453 students): Horizon Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.4:1 vs 11.6:1).
Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students) and Lightridge High (2,030 students) alongside Horizon Elementary.
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 Horizon Elementary compares
Horizon Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.7% | ▼ 68% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 510 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
510
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 44% in Virginia - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$18,953
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 510 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 43.5%
Hispanic or Latino 22.9%
Asian 19.8%
Two or More 7.8%
African American 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 43.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, Horizon Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Loudoun County Public Schools, which includes Horizon Elementary.
$18,953
Per student
+29%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.9%
State 27.1%
Federal 5.0%
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 Horizon Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lightridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Briar Woods High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John Champe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,166
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,851
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in Sterling
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Dominion High
Standard public school
1,453 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Elaine E. Thompson Elementary
Standard public school
756 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Countryside Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 13:1 students per teacher
Potowmack Elementary
Standard public school
568 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Rolling Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Forest Grove Elementary
Standard public school
529 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~510 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Horizon Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Loudoun County 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 Horizon Elementary
How many students attend Horizon Elementary?
Horizon Elementary has 510 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sterling, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 4% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 15% 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 Horizon Elementary?
18.7% of students at Horizon Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Elementary is White at 43.5% of enrollment, in Sterling, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Elementary?
Horizon Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Horizon Elementary rank among schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Elementary ranks #13 of 14 schools in Sterling, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sterling on the city page.
Is Horizon Elementary a good school?
Horizon Elementary earns 49/100 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 Loudoun County Public Schools?
Besides Horizon Elementary, Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students), Lightridge High (2,030 students), and Freedom High (1,885 students). See the Loudoun County 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.