Enrollment
632
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Falls Church, VA
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Mary Ellen Henderson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 72/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510129000284
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 79
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Falls Church · Resource Index
- 72
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 7.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle has class sizes smaller than 90% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Falls Church, VA.
School address
District: Falls Church City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510129000284 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Ellen Henderson Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Falls Church, Virginia, enrolling 632 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle is leaner than roughly 90% of Virginia schools and 23% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.9% free-meal eligibility runs 86% below the Virginia average.
With 632 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 179 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 105 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Falls Church City Public Schools spends $23,332 per pupil, 59% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Falls Church's middle schools, it stands alongside Longfellow Middle (1,226 students): Mary Ellen Henderson Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 15.9:1).
Falls Church City Public Schools also operates Meridian High (893 students) and Oak Street Elementary (587 students) alongside Mary Ellen Henderson Middle.
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 Mary Ellen Henderson Middle compares
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 23% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.9% | ▼ 86% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 632 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
632
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 86% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 10% in Virginia - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$23,332
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 105 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 63.0%
Two or More 12.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Asian 8.4%
African American 3.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 63.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.4, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Falls Church City Public Schools, which includes Mary Ellen Henderson Middle.
$23,332
Per student
+59%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 82.7%
State 14.1%
Federal 3.2%
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 Mary Ellen Henderson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Street Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Daniel Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jessie Thackrey Preschool | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Ellen Henderson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 893
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 73
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Falls Church
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~632 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Ellen Henderson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Mary Ellen Henderson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Falls Church 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 Mary Ellen Henderson Middle
How many students attend Mary Ellen Henderson Middle?
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle has 632 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Falls Church, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle is 10.7:1, which is 23% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 32% 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 Mary Ellen Henderson Middle?
7.9% of students at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Ellen Henderson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle is White at 63.0% of enrollment, in Falls Church, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Ellen Henderson Middle?
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 72/100 (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 Mary Ellen Henderson Middle rank among middle schools in Falls Church?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Falls Church, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Falls Church on the city page.
Is Mary Ellen Henderson Middle a good school?
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle earns 72/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 Falls Church City Public Schools?
Besides Mary Ellen Henderson Middle, Falls Church City Public Schools also operates Meridian High (893 students), Oak Street Elementary (587 students), and Mount Daniel Elementary (486 students). See the Falls Church 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.