Enrollment
642
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Colonial Heights, VA
Marguerite F. Christian Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Marguerite F. Christian Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510084001086
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Marguerite F. Christian Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Colonial Heights · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 80.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Marguerite F. Christian Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Marguerite F. Christian Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Colonial Heights, VA.
School address
District: Chesterfield County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510084001086 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Marguerite F. Christian Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Marguerite F. Christian Elementary
Marguerite F. Christian Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Colonial Heights, Virginia, enrolling 642 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 642 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 407 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #155.
Its student body is led by African American (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Colonial Heights's public schools, it stands alongside Tussing Elementary (652 students): Marguerite F. Christian Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 13.6:1).
Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students) and Cosby High (2,507 students) alongside Marguerite F. Christian 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 Marguerite F. Christian Elementary compares
Marguerite F. Christian 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.4% | ▲ 40% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 642 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
642
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 44% in Virginia - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$12,207
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 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
African American 36.6%
Hispanic or Latino 30.1%
White 24.8%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 36.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Marguerite F. Christian Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield County Public Schools, which includes Marguerite F. Christian Elementary.
$12,207
Per student
-17%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 47.1%
Federal 10.1%
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 Marguerite F. Christian Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Dale High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cosby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lloyd C. Bird High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midlothian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Marguerite F. Christian Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,582
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,507
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,236
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Colonial Heights
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~642 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Marguerite F. Christian Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Marguerite F. Christian Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield County 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 Marguerite F. Christian Elementary
How many students attend Marguerite F. Christian Elementary?
Marguerite F. Christian Elementary has 642 students enrolled. It is a public school in Colonial Heights, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Marguerite F. Christian Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Marguerite F. Christian Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 4% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 15% 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 Marguerite F. Christian Elementary?
80.4% of students at Marguerite F. Christian Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Marguerite F. Christian Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Marguerite F. Christian Elementary is African American at 36.6% of enrollment, in Colonial Heights, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Marguerite F. Christian Elementary?
Marguerite F. Christian Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Marguerite F. Christian Elementary rank among schools in Colonial Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Marguerite F. Christian Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Colonial Heights, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Colonial Heights on the city page.
Is Marguerite F. Christian Elementary a good school?
Marguerite F. Christian Elementary earns 51/100 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 Chesterfield County Public Schools?
Besides Marguerite F. Christian Elementary, Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students), Cosby High (2,507 students), and Manchester High (2,236 students). See the Chesterfield County 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.