Enrollment
660
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510264001059
Joseph H. Saunders Elementary — Newport News, VA
Federal NCES profile for Joseph H. Saunders Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 18
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: Newport News 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)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joseph H. Saunders 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
Joseph H. Saunders Elementary reports 660 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 38.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% 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 3% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 89.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 49% above the Virginia average and 72% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 330 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 32.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Newport News City Public Schools spends $16,409 per pupil district-wide, above the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 31.8% from local sources (property taxes), 50.6% from the state, and 17.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), 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 Joseph H. Saunders 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.2% | ▲ 49% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 660 | top 64% | — | — |
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
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 49% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
— 16% above state mean
Top 87% in Virginia — lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,409
per pupil, district-wide
— above Virginia avg of $16,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 330 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 660 Top 64% in Virginia — larger than 36% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 38.0
Students per teacher 16.3:1 +16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 89.2% +49% vs state
NCES ID 510264001059
Student demographics
African American 48.3%
Hispanic or Latino 28.0%
White 14.7%
Two or More 7.4%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: African American at 48.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 330:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 32.6%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 30
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport News City Public Schools, which includes Joseph H. Saunders Elementary.
$16,409
Per student
+1%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 31.8%
State 50.6%
Federal 17.7%
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
- 1,723
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,707
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,622
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,269
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,106
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
Similar other schools in Newport News
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Achievable Dream Academy
Standard public school
641 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Carver Elementary
Standard public school
634 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Discovery Stem Academy
Standard public school
561 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Kiln Creek Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Katherine Johnson Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Oliver C. Greenwood Elementary
Standard public school
549 students 17.3:1 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 Joseph H. Saunders Elementary
How many students attend Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?
Joseph H. Saunders Elementary has 660 students enrolled. It is a other school in Newport News, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Joseph H. Saunders Elementary is 16.3:1, which is 16% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?
89.2% of students at Joseph H. Saunders Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Joseph H. Saunders Elementary is African American at 48.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Newport News, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joseph H. Saunders Elementary?
Joseph H. Saunders Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) 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.