Enrollment
408
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Roanoke, VA
Penn Forest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Penn Forest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510333001468
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penn Forest Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #15 of 27
- schools in Roanoke · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 23.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Penn Forest Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penn Forest Elementary ranks #15 of 27 schools in Roanoke, VA.
School address
District: Roanoke County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510333001468 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.0%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penn Forest Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penn Forest Elementary
Penn Forest Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Roanoke, Virginia, enrolling 408 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 408 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 162 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #78.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 408 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Roanoke's public schools, it stands alongside Round Hill Elementary (720 students): Penn Forest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 14.7:1).
Roanoke County Public Schools also operates William Byrd High (1,134 students) and Cave Spring High (1,046 students) alongside Penn Forest 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 Penn Forest Elementary compares
Penn Forest 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.0% | ▼ 60% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 408 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
408
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 55% in Virginia - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,626
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 408 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 67.4%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 8.8%
African American 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.9, Penn Forest Elementary is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Roanoke County Public Schools, which includes Penn Forest Elementary.
$12,626
Per student
-14%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.4%
State 47.5%
Federal 11.1%
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 Penn Forest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Byrd High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cave Spring High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hidden Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William Byrd Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penn Forest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,046
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 919
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 832
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 802
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Roanoke
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Round Hill Elementary
Standard public school
720 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Westside Elementary
Standard public school
624 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Fallon Park Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Preston Park Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Burlington Elementary
Standard public school
530 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Cave Spring Elementary
Standard public school
489 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~408 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penn Forest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Penn Forest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Roanoke 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 Penn Forest Elementary
How many students attend Penn Forest Elementary?
Penn Forest Elementary has 408 students enrolled. It is a public school in Roanoke, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penn Forest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Penn Forest Elementary is 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Penn Forest Elementary?
23.0% of students at Penn Forest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penn Forest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Penn Forest Elementary is White at 67.4% of enrollment, in Roanoke, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penn Forest Elementary?
Penn Forest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Penn Forest Elementary rank among schools in Roanoke?
By Resource Investment Index, Penn Forest Elementary ranks #15 of 27 schools in Roanoke, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Roanoke on the city page.
Is Penn Forest Elementary a good school?
Penn Forest Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. 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 Roanoke County Public Schools?
Besides Penn Forest Elementary, Roanoke County Public Schools also operates William Byrd High (1,134 students), Cave Spring High (1,046 students), and Northside High (919 students). See the Roanoke 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.