Enrollment
743
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alexandria, VA
John Adams Elementary
Federal NCES profile for John Adams Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510012000045
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Adams Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #34 of 42
- schools in Alexandria · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 95.6%
- free-lunch eligible
John Adams Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Adams Elementary ranks #34 of 42 schools in Alexandria, VA.
School address
District: Alexandria City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510012000045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Adams Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Adams Elementary
John Adams Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Alexandria, Virginia, enrolling 743 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 95.6% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 743 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 243 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #160.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 372 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Alexandria City Public Schools spends $20,887 per pupil, 43% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Alexandria's public schools, it stands alongside Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students): John Adams Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 17.3:1).
Alexandria City Public Schools also operates Alexandria City High School (4,655 students) and Francis C. Hammond Middle (1,597 students) alongside John Adams 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 John Adams Elementary compares
John Adams 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.6% | ▲ 66% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 743 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
743
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 63% in Virginia - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$20,887
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 372 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 40.8%
African American 24.8%
White 19.8%
Asian 10.9%
Two or More 3.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 40.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, John Adams Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alexandria City Public Schools, which includes John Adams Elementary.
$20,887
Per student
+43%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.8%
State 17.5%
Federal 11.7%
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 John Adams Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Francis C. Hammond Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| George Washington Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Patrick Henry K-8 School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Vernon Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Adams Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,655
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 72/100
- Enrollment
- 1,458
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 933
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Alexandria
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hayfield Secondary
Standard public school
3,256 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Patrick Henry K-8 School
Standard public school
1,075 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Parklawn Elementary
Standard public school
963 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Mount Vernon Elementary
Standard public school
933 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Hybla Valley Elementary
Standard public school
878 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
James K. Polk Elementary
Standard public school
804 students 15.2:1 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 (~743 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Adams Elementary's federal record.
- Compare John Adams Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alexandria 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 John Adams Elementary
How many students attend John Adams Elementary?
John Adams Elementary has 743 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alexandria, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Adams Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at John Adams Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 5% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John Adams Elementary?
95.6% of students at John Adams Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Adams Elementary?
The largest demographic group at John Adams Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 40.8% of enrollment, in Alexandria, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Adams Elementary?
John Adams Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 John Adams Elementary rank among schools in Alexandria?
By Resource Investment Index, John Adams Elementary ranks #34 of 42 schools in Alexandria, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Alexandria on the city page.
Is John Adams Elementary a good school?
John Adams Elementary earns 43/100 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 Alexandria City Public Schools?
Besides John Adams Elementary, Alexandria City Public Schools also operates Alexandria City High School (4,655 students), Francis C. Hammond Middle (1,597 students), and George Washington Middle (1,458 students). See the Alexandria 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.