Enrollment
287
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Independence, VA
Independence Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Independence Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510169000696
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 89.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Independence, VA.
School address
District: Grayson County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510169000696 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Elementary
Independence Elementary is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Independence, Virginia, enrolling 287 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 89.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 287 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 238 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #42.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
10.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Grayson County Public Schools also operates Grayson County High (461 students) and Independence Middle (280 students) alongside Independence 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 Independence Elementary compares
Independence 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 6% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.2% | ▲ 55% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 287 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
287
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in Virginia - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
10.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,452
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 78.0%
Hispanic or Latino 12.9%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.1, Independence Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grayson County Public Schools, which includes Independence Elementary.
$14,452
Per student
-1%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.6%
State 48.0%
Federal 24.5%
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 Independence Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Independence Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fries Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grayson Highlands | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 280
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 231
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 156
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 146
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar elementary 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 (~287 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Independence Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Grayson 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 Independence Elementary
How many students attend Independence Elementary?
Independence Elementary has 287 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Independence, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary is 13:1, which is 6% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 17% 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 Independence Elementary?
89.2% of students at Independence Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Independence Elementary is White at 78.0% of enrollment, in Independence, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Elementary?
Independence Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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 Independence Elementary rank among public schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Independence, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Independence Elementary a good school?
Independence Elementary earns 58/100 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 Grayson County Public Schools?
Besides Independence Elementary, Grayson County Public Schools also operates Grayson County High (461 students), Independence Middle (280 students), and Fries Elementary (231 students). See the Grayson 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.