Enrollment
262
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510324001379
John B. Cary Elementary — Richmond, VA
Federal NCES profile for John B. Cary Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 60/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 80
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Richmond City Public Schools · Virginia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.5%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John B. Cary Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
John B. Cary Elementary reports 262 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 98.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 64% above the Virginia average and 90% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 262 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 8.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Richmond City Public Schools spends $22,807 per pupil district-wide, above the Virginia average of $16,211 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.0% from local sources (property taxes), 34.3% from the state, and 25.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How John B. Cary Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.5% | ▲ 64% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 11% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
98.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 64% above the Virginia average of 59.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 63% in Virginia — lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
8.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$22,807
per pupil, district-wide
— above Virginia avg of $16,211
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 262 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 262 Top 11% in Virginia — larger than 89% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 14.6:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 98.5% +64% vs state
NCES ID 510324001379
Student demographics
White 42.4%
African American 39.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: White at 42.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 262:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 8.0%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richmond City Public Schools, which includes John B. Cary Elementary.
$22,807
Per student
+41%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 34.3%
Federal 25.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,469
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,150
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 821
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 749
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
Similar other schools in Richmond
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Elizabeth Holladay Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 15:1 students per teacher
Falling Creek Elementary
Standard public school
823 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
821 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Maybeury Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Dumbarton Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 15:1 students per teacher
Tuckahoe Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about John B. Cary Elementary
How many students attend John B. Cary Elementary?
John B. Cary Elementary has 262 students enrolled. It is a other school in Richmond, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John B. Cary Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at John B. Cary Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John B. Cary Elementary?
98.5% of students at John B. Cary Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John B. Cary Elementary?
The largest demographic group at John B. Cary Elementary is White at 42.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Richmond, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John B. Cary Elementary?
John B. Cary Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.