Enrollment
620
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chesterfield, VA
O.B. Gates Elementary
Federal NCES profile for O.B. Gates Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510084001989
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
O.B. Gates Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Chesterfield · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 33.2%
- free-lunch eligible
O.B. Gates Elementary has class sizes smaller than 82% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, O.B. Gates Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Chesterfield, VA.
School address
District: Chesterfield County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510084001989 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How O.B. Gates Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at O.B. Gates Elementary
O.B. Gates Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chesterfield, Virginia, enrolling 620 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 620 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 325 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 310 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Chesterfield's public schools, it stands alongside J.a. Chalkley Elementary (835 students): O.B. Gates Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 13:1).
Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students) and Cosby High (2,507 students) alongside O.B. Gates 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 O.B. Gates Elementary compares
O.B. Gates 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.2% | ▼ 42% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 620 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
620
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 18% in Virginia - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.1%
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
$12,207
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 310 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 46.9%
African American 27.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 46.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.0, O.B. Gates Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield County Public Schools, which includes O.B. Gates Elementary.
$12,207
Per student
-17%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 47.1%
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 O.B. Gates Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Dale High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cosby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lloyd C. Bird High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midlothian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to O.B. Gates Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,582
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,507
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,236
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Chesterfield
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~620 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on O.B. Gates Elementary's federal record.
- Compare O.B. Gates Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield 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 O.B. Gates Elementary
How many students attend O.B. Gates Elementary?
O.B. Gates Elementary has 620 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chesterfield, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at O.B. Gates Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at O.B. Gates Elementary is 11.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 25% 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 O.B. Gates Elementary?
33.2% of students at O.B. Gates Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of O.B. Gates Elementary?
The largest demographic group at O.B. Gates Elementary is White at 46.9% of enrollment, in Chesterfield, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for O.B. Gates Elementary?
O.B. Gates Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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 O.B. Gates Elementary rank among schools in Chesterfield?
By Resource Investment Index, O.B. Gates Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Chesterfield, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chesterfield on the city page.
Is O.B. Gates Elementary a good school?
O.B. Gates Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Chesterfield County Public Schools?
Besides O.B. Gates Elementary, Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Thomas Dale High (2,582 students), Cosby High (2,507 students), and Manchester High (2,236 students). See the Chesterfield 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.