Enrollment
520
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Herndon, VA
Mcnair Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mcnair Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510126002272
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcnair Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #8 of 10
- schools in Herndon · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 26.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcnair Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcnair Elementary ranks #8 of 10 schools in Herndon, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126002272 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.5%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcnair Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcnair Elementary
Mcnair Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Herndon, Virginia, enrolling 520 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 520 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 282 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #237, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (41%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 347 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Herndon's public schools, it stands alongside Coates Elementary (996 students): Mcnair Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 18.1:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Mcnair 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 Mcnair Elementary compares
Mcnair 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.5% | ▼ 54% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 520 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
520
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in Virginia - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.8%
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
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 347 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
Asian 41.0%
African American 21.3%
White 17.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 3.7%
Largest group: Asian at 41.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.7, Mcnair Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Mcnair Elementary.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
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 Mcnair Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcnair Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Herndon
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Coates Elementary
Standard public school
996 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Hutchison Elementary
Standard public school
970 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Herndon Elementary
Standard public school
792 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Floris Elementary
Standard public school
666 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Fox Mill Elementary
Standard public school
650 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
628 students 14:1 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 (~520 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcnair Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mcnair Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax 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 Mcnair Elementary
How many students attend Mcnair Elementary?
Mcnair Elementary has 520 students enrolled. It is a public school in Herndon, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcnair Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcnair Elementary is 12.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 19% 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 Mcnair Elementary?
26.5% of students at Mcnair Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcnair Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mcnair Elementary is Asian at 41.0% of enrollment, in Herndon, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcnair Elementary?
Mcnair Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Mcnair Elementary rank among schools in Herndon?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcnair Elementary ranks #8 of 10 schools in Herndon, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Herndon on the city page.
Is Mcnair Elementary a good school?
Mcnair Elementary earns 46/100 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Mcnair Elementary, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax 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.