Enrollment
2,264
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 510081000303
Oscar F. Smith High — Chesapeake, VA
Federal NCES profile for Oscar F. Smith High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 44
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 15
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: Chesapeake 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)
164.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.3%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Oscar F. Smith High 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
Oscar F. Smith High reports 2,264 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 164.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 0% 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 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 70.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 17% above the Virginia average and 36% above the national baseline. The school offers 16 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 323 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 34.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Chesapeake City Public Schools spends $15,216 per pupil district-wide, below the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.1% from local sources (property taxes), 42.6% from the state, and 10.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 5 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 Oscar F. Smith High 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 0% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.3% | ▲ 17% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 2,264 | top 98% | — | — |
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
70.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 17% 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
14:1
students per teacher
— 0% above state mean
Top 52% in Virginia — lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
34.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,216
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 323 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
184
in-school suspensions + 147 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 2,264 Top 98% in Virginia — larger than 2% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 164.0
Students per teacher 14:1 +0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 70.3% +17% vs state
NCES ID 510081000303
Student demographics
African American 54.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.6%
White 17.1%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 54.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 7.0
Students per counselor 323:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 34.1%
In-school suspensions 184
Out-of-school suspensions 147
Expulsions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesapeake City Public Schools, which includes Oscar F. Smith High.
$15,216
Per student
-6%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 42.6%
Federal 10.3%
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
- 2,345
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,138
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,691
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
Similar high schools in Chesapeake
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Grassfield High
Standard public school
2,345 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Western Branch High
Standard public school
2,138 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Deep Creek High
Standard public school
1,691 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Indian River High
Standard public school
1,634 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Hickory High
Standard public school
1,600 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Great Bridge High
Standard public school
1,491 students 14.8:1 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 Oscar F. Smith High
How many students attend Oscar F. Smith High?
Oscar F. Smith High has 2,264 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chesapeake, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Oscar F. Smith High?
The student-teacher ratio at Oscar F. Smith High is 14:1, which is 0% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Oscar F. Smith High?
70.3% of students at Oscar F. Smith High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Oscar F. Smith High?
The largest demographic group at Oscar F. Smith High is African American at 54.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chesapeake, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Oscar F. Smith High?
Oscar F. Smith High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.