Enrollment
262
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Richmond, VA
John B. Cary Elementary
Federal NCES profile for John B. Cary Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510324001379
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John B. Cary Elementary earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #6 of 63
- schools in Richmond · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 98.5%
- free-lunch eligible
John B. Cary Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John B. Cary Elementary ranks #6 of 63 schools in Richmond, VA.
School address
District: Richmond City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510324001379 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.5%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John B. Cary Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at John B. Cary Elementary
John B. Cary Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Richmond, Virginia, enrolling 262 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: 98.5% of students qualify for free meals, 71% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 262 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 127 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and African American (40%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Richmond City Public Schools spends $21,583 per pupil, 47% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Richmond's public schools, it stands alongside Elizabeth Holladay Elementary (859 students): John B. Cary Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 16.2:1).
Richmond City Public Schools also operates Huguenot High (1,469 students) and River City Middle (1,150 students) alongside John B. Cary 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 B. Cary Elementary compares
John B. Cary 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 | 98.5% | ▲ 71% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 89% | - | - |
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.
262
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
8.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,583
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
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, John B. Cary Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richmond City Public Schools, which includes John B. Cary Elementary.
$21,583
Per student
+47%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How John B. Cary Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huguenot High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| River City Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| George Wythe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cardinal Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John B. Cary Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,469
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,150
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 821
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 749
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Richmond
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Elizabeth Holladay Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Falling Creek Elementary
Standard public school
823 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
821 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Maybeury Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Dumbarton Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Tuckahoe Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 16.6:1 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 (~262 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John B. Cary Elementary's federal record.
- Compare John B. Cary Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richmond 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 B. Cary Elementary
How many students attend John B. Cary Elementary?
John B. Cary Elementary has 262 students enrolled. It is a public 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 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 B. Cary Elementary?
98.5% of students at John B. Cary Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
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% of enrollment, in Richmond, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John B. Cary Elementary?
John B. Cary Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (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 John B. Cary Elementary rank among schools in Richmond?
By Resource Investment Index, John B. Cary Elementary ranks #6 of 63 schools in Richmond, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Richmond on the city page.
Is John B. Cary Elementary a good school?
John B. Cary Elementary earns 60/100 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 Richmond City Public Schools?
Besides John B. Cary Elementary, Richmond City Public Schools also operates Huguenot High (1,469 students), River City Middle (1,150 students), and George Wythe High (1,116 students). See the Richmond 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.