Enrollment
605
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Herndon, VA
Mcnair Upper Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mcnair Upper Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510126003078
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcnair Upper Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Virginia schools.
- #7 of 14
- public schools in Herndon · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 22.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcnair Upper Elementary has class sizes larger than 93% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcnair Upper Elementary ranks #7 of 14 public schools in Herndon, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126003078 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcnair Upper Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcnair Upper Elementary
Mcnair Upper Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Herndon, Virginia, enrolling 605 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Virginia schools and 24% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 605 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 309 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #158.
Its student body is led by Asian (50%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 303 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Mcnair Upper 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 Upper Elementary compares
Mcnair Upper 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 | 17.3:1 | ▲ 24% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.4% | ▼ 61% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 605 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
605
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 93% in Virginia - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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
Asian 49.6%
African American 17.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.0%
White 12.6%
Two or More 3.8%
Largest group: Asian at 49.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.9, Mcnair Upper 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 Upper 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 Upper Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcnair Upper 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 elementary 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 (~605 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcnair Upper Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mcnair Upper 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 Upper Elementary
How many students attend Mcnair Upper Elementary?
Mcnair Upper Elementary has 605 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Herndon, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcnair Upper Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcnair Upper Elementary is 17.3:1, which is 24% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcnair Upper Elementary?
22.4% of students at Mcnair Upper Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcnair Upper Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mcnair Upper Elementary is Asian at 49.6% of enrollment, in Herndon, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcnair Upper Elementary?
Mcnair Upper Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Mcnair Upper Elementary rank among public schools in Herndon?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcnair Upper Elementary ranks #7 of 14 public 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 public schools in Herndon on the city page.
Is Mcnair Upper Elementary a good school?
Mcnair Upper Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Mcnair Upper 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.