Enrollment
798
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510371001475
Northern Shores Elementary — Suffolk, VA
Federal NCES profile for Northern Shores Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 51/100.
👥 Class size 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 82
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Suffolk City Public Schools · Virginia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.6%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northern Shores Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Northern Shores Elementary reports 798 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 48.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% above the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 8% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 64.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% above the Virginia average and 25% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 399 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 7.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Suffolk City Public Schools spends $14,809 per pupil district-wide, below the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.0% from local sources (property taxes), 47.5% from the state, and 12.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Northern Shores Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 22% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.6% | ▲ 8% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 798 | top 76% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
64.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% above the Virginia average of 59.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
— 22% above state mean
Top 93% in Virginia — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$14,809
per pupil, district-wide
— below Virginia avg of $16,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 399 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 798 Top 76% in Virginia — larger than 24% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 48.0
Students per teacher 17.1:1 +22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 64.6% +8% vs state
NCES ID 510371001475
Student demographics
African American 42.0%
White 31.2%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
Two or More 9.3%
Asian 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 42.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 399:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 7.1%
In-school suspensions 10
Out-of-school suspensions 30
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Suffolk City Public Schools, which includes Northern Shores Elementary.
$14,809
Per student
-9%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 47.5%
Federal 12.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,686
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,683
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
Similar other schools in Suffolk
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Florence Bowser Elementary
Standard public school
926 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Hillpoint Elementary
Standard public school
780 students 16:1 students per teacher
Creekside Elementary
Standard public school
764 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary
Standard public school
713 students 14:1 students per teacher
Elephant'S Fork Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Southwestern Elementary
Standard public school
579 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Northern Shores Elementary
How many students attend Northern Shores Elementary?
Northern Shores Elementary has 798 students enrolled. It is a other school in Suffolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern Shores Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Northern Shores Elementary is 17.1:1, which is 22% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northern Shores Elementary?
64.6% of students at Northern Shores Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northern Shores Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Northern Shores Elementary is African American at 42.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Suffolk, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northern Shores Elementary?
Northern Shores Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.