Enrollment
491
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Covington, VA
Jeter-Watson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Jeter-Watson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510015200369
👥 S:T ratio 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jeter-Watson Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Covington · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Jeter-Watson Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jeter-Watson Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Covington, VA.
School address
District: Alleghany Highlands Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510015200369 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jeter-Watson Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jeter-Watson Elementary
Jeter-Watson Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Covington, Virginia, enrolling 491 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 491 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.
Against 217 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #101.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 42/100).
Among Covington's public schools, it stands alongside Mountain View Elementary (415 students): Jeter-Watson Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12:1 vs 11.5:1).
Alleghany Highlands Public Schools also operates Alleghany High (818 students) and Clifton Middle (594 students) alongside Jeter-Watson 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 Jeter-Watson Elementary compares
Jeter-Watson 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▼ 27% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 21% in Virginia - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$13,593
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.
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 74.5%
African American 10.0%
Two or More 8.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 74.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Jeter-Watson Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alleghany Highlands Public Schools, which includes Jeter-Watson Elementary.
$13,593
Per student
-7%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.4%
State 53.3%
Federal 11.3%
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 Jeter-Watson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alleghany High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clifton Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Covington High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Callaghan Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jeter-Watson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Covington
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~491 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jeter-Watson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Jeter-Watson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alleghany Highlands 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 Jeter-Watson Elementary
How many students attend Jeter-Watson Elementary?
Jeter-Watson Elementary has 491 students enrolled. It is a public school in Covington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jeter-Watson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Jeter-Watson Elementary is 12:1, which is 14% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 24% 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 Jeter-Watson Elementary?
42.2% of students at Jeter-Watson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jeter-Watson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Jeter-Watson Elementary is White at 74.5% of enrollment, in Covington, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jeter-Watson Elementary?
Jeter-Watson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Jeter-Watson Elementary rank among schools in Covington?
By Resource Investment Index, Jeter-Watson Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Covington, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Covington on the city page.
Is Jeter-Watson Elementary a good school?
Jeter-Watson Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Alleghany Highlands Public Schools?
Besides Jeter-Watson Elementary, Alleghany Highlands Public Schools also operates Alleghany High (818 students), Clifton Middle (594 students), and Mountain View Elementary (415 students). See the Alleghany Highlands 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.