Enrollment
358
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charlottesville, VA
Meriwether Lewis Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Meriwether Lewis Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 67/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510009000028
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 76
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meriwether Lewis Elementary earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #2 of 25
- public schools in Charlottesville · Resource Index
- 67
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.3:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 6.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Meriwether Lewis Elementary has class sizes larger than 85% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meriwether Lewis Elementary ranks #2 of 25 public schools in Charlottesville, VA.
School address
District: Albemarle County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510009000028 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meriwether Lewis Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meriwether Lewis Elementary
Meriwether Lewis Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Charlottesville, Virginia, enrolling 358 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.4% free-meal eligibility runs 89% below the Virginia average.
Enrollment of 358 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 41 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 predominantly White (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 119 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Charlottesville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Walker Upper Elementary (570 students): Meriwether Lewis Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 11.2:1).
Albemarle County Public Schools also operates Albemarle High (1,964 students) and Western Albemarle High (1,273 students) alongside Meriwether Lewis 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 Meriwether Lewis Elementary compares
Meriwether Lewis 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.4% | ▼ 89% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 358 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
358
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 85% in Virginia - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$16,619
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 119 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 84.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 2.8%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 84.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.1, Meriwether Lewis Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albemarle County Public Schools, which includes Meriwether Lewis Elementary.
$16,619
Per student
+13%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.8%
State 23.0%
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 Meriwether Lewis Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albemarle High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Western Albemarle High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monticello High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Joseph T. Henley Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meriwether Lewis Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,964
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,273
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 847
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 769
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar elementary schools in Charlottesville
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~358 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meriwether Lewis Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Meriwether Lewis Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Albemarle 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 Meriwether Lewis Elementary
How many students attend Meriwether Lewis Elementary?
Meriwether Lewis Elementary has 358 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charlottesville, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meriwether Lewis Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Meriwether Lewis Elementary is 16.3:1, which is 17% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Meriwether Lewis Elementary?
6.4% of students at Meriwether Lewis Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meriwether Lewis Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Meriwether Lewis Elementary is White at 84.9% of enrollment, in Charlottesville, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meriwether Lewis Elementary?
Meriwether Lewis Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (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 Meriwether Lewis Elementary rank among public schools in Charlottesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Meriwether Lewis Elementary ranks #2 of 25 public schools in Charlottesville, 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 Charlottesville on the city page.
Is Meriwether Lewis Elementary a good school?
Meriwether Lewis Elementary earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Albemarle County Public Schools?
Besides Meriwether Lewis Elementary, Albemarle County Public Schools also operates Albemarle High (1,964 students), Western Albemarle High (1,273 students), and Monticello High (1,184 students). See the Albemarle 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.