Enrollment
475
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Harrisonburg, VA
Keister Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Keister Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510186000783
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Keister Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 8
- schools in Harrisonburg · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 80.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Keister Elementary has class sizes smaller than 72% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Keister Elementary ranks #1 of 8 schools in Harrisonburg, VA.
School address
District: Harrisonburg City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510186000783 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Keister Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Keister Elementary
Keister Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, enrolling 475 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 475 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 407 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #36, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (36%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 238 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Harrisonburg's public schools, it stands alongside Waterman Elementary (557 students): Keister Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 13:1).
Harrisonburg City Public Schools also operates Harrisonburg High (998 students) and Thomas Harrison Middle (771 students) alongside Keister 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 Keister Elementary compares
Keister 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 10% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.2% | ▲ 39% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 475 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
475
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 28% in Virginia - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,710
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 238 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 48.6%
White 35.8%
African American 9.9%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Keister Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, which includes Keister Elementary.
$14,710
Per student
+0%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.5%
State 25.9%
Federal 7.6%
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 Keister Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Harrison Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Skyline Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bluestone Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waterman Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Keister Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 7.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Harrisonburg
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Waterman Elementary
Standard public school
557 students 13:1 students per teacher
Stone Spring Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Smithland Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Spotswood Elementary
Standard public school
468 students 12:1 students per teacher
Mountain View Elementary
Standard public school
411 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lacey Spring Elementary
Standard public school
350 students 19.4:1 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 (~475 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Keister Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Keister Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harrisonburg 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 Keister Elementary
How many students attend Keister Elementary?
Keister Elementary has 475 students enrolled. It is a public school in Harrisonburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Keister Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Keister Elementary is 12.5:1, which is 10% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 20% 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 Keister Elementary?
80.2% of students at Keister Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Keister Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Keister Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 48.6% of enrollment, in Harrisonburg, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Keister Elementary?
Keister Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Keister Elementary rank among schools in Harrisonburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Keister Elementary ranks #1 of 8 schools in Harrisonburg, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Harrisonburg on the city page.
Is Keister Elementary a good school?
Keister Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Harrisonburg City Public Schools?
Besides Keister Elementary, Harrisonburg City Public Schools also operates Harrisonburg High (998 students), Thomas Harrison Middle (771 students), and Skyline Middle (738 students). See the Harrisonburg 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.