Enrollment
859
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fredericksburg, VA
Hugh Mercer Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hugh Mercer Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510151000660
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hugh Mercer Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Virginia schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #13 of 14
- schools in Fredericksburg · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 83.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hugh Mercer Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hugh Mercer Elementary ranks #13 of 14 schools in Fredericksburg, VA.
School address
District: Fredericksburg City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510151000660 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hugh Mercer Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hugh Mercer Elementary
Hugh Mercer Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fredericksburg, Virginia, enrolling 859 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 859 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 274 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #270, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (30%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 175 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 859 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Fredericksburg's public schools, it stands alongside Parkside Elementary (946 students): Hugh Mercer Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 18.2:1).
Fredericksburg City Public Schools also operates James Monroe High (1,013 students) and Lafayette Elementary (812 students) alongside Hugh Mercer 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 Hugh Mercer Elementary compares
Hugh Mercer 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 10% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.9% | ▲ 46% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 859 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
859
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 73% in Virginia - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
44.9%
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
$15,958
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
124
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.4 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
African American 30.3%
Hispanic or Latino 26.0%
White 21.0%
Asian 15.0%
Two or More 7.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 30.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.9, Hugh Mercer Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fredericksburg City Public Schools, which includes Hugh Mercer Elementary.
$15,958
Per student
+9%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.8%
State 30.8%
Federal 18.3%
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 Hugh Mercer Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Monroe High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walker-Grant Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Walker-Grant Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hugh Mercer Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 149
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Fredericksburg
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Parkside Elementary
Standard public school
946 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Lafayette Elementary
Standard public school
812 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Cedar Forest Elementary
Standard public school
789 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Harrison Road Elementary
Standard public school
732 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Smith Station Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Lee Hill Elementary
Standard public school
680 students 17:1 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 (~859 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hugh Mercer Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hugh Mercer Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fredericksburg 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 Hugh Mercer Elementary
How many students attend Hugh Mercer Elementary?
Hugh Mercer Elementary has 859 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fredericksburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hugh Mercer Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hugh Mercer Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 10% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hugh Mercer Elementary?
83.9% of students at Hugh Mercer Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hugh Mercer Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hugh Mercer Elementary is African American at 30.3% of enrollment, in Fredericksburg, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hugh Mercer Elementary?
Hugh Mercer Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Hugh Mercer Elementary rank among schools in Fredericksburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Hugh Mercer Elementary ranks #13 of 14 schools in Fredericksburg, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fredericksburg on the city page.
Is Hugh Mercer Elementary a good school?
Hugh Mercer Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Virginia schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools. 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 Fredericksburg City Public Schools?
Besides Hugh Mercer Elementary, Fredericksburg City Public Schools also operates James Monroe High (1,013 students), Lafayette Elementary (812 students), and Walker-Grant Middle (796 students). See the Fredericksburg 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.