Enrollment
449
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Williamsburg, VA
James River Elementary
Federal NCES profile for James River Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510402000705
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James River Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 6
- elementary schools in Williamsburg · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 66.4%
- free-lunch eligible
James River Elementary has class sizes smaller than 84% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James River Elementary ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Williamsburg, VA.
School address
NCES ID 510402000705 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James River Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at James River Elementary
James River Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Williamsburg, Virginia, enrolling 449 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.4% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 449 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 229 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #64.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (24%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 449 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Williamsburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Stonehouse Elementary (838 students): James River Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.5:1 vs 16.1:1).
Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools also operates Warhill High (1,277 students) and Lafayette High (1,247 students) alongside James River 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 James River Elementary compares
James River 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.4% | ▲ 15% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 449 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
449
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 16% in Virginia - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,372
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 449 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 48.8%
White 24.1%
African American 17.8%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.4, James River Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, which includes James River Elementary.
$14,372
Per student
-2%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 84.7%
State 3.7%
Federal 11.5%
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 James River Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warhill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafayette High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jamestown High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stonehouse Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lois Hornsby Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James River Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,277
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,247
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,243
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 838
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar elementary schools in Williamsburg
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Stonehouse Elementary
Standard public school
838 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Magruder Elementary
Standard public school
610 students
Matoaka Elementary
Standard public school
595 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Matthew Whaley Elementary
Standard public school
485 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Waller Mill Elementary
Standard public school
445 students
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 (~449 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James River Elementary's federal record.
- Compare James River Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Williamsburg-James City 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 James River Elementary
How many students attend James River Elementary?
James River Elementary has 449 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Williamsburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James River Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at James River Elementary is 11.5:1, which is 17% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 27% 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 James River Elementary?
66.4% of students at James River Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James River Elementary?
The largest demographic group at James River Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 48.8% of enrollment, in Williamsburg, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James River Elementary?
James River Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 James River Elementary rank among elementary schools in Williamsburg?
By Resource Investment Index, James River Elementary ranks #1 of 6 elementary schools in Williamsburg, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Williamsburg on the city page.
Is James River Elementary a good school?
James River Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of 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 Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools?
Besides James River Elementary, Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools also operates Warhill High (1,277 students), Lafayette High (1,247 students), and Jamestown High (1,243 students). See the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.