Enrollment
760
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bristow, VA
Piney Branch Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Piney Branch Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510313002851
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Piney Branch Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Virginia schools.
- #5 of 5
- schools in Bristow · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 14.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Piney Branch Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Branch Elementary ranks #5 of 5 schools in Bristow, VA.
School address
District: Prince William County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510313002851 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Piney Branch Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Piney Branch Elementary
Piney Branch Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bristow, Virginia, enrolling 760 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 90% of Virginia schools and 22% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.1% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the Virginia average.
Enrollment of 760 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 251 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #203, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Asian (20%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Bristow's public schools, it stands alongside Chris Yung Elementary (719 students): Piney Branch Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.9:1 vs 15.3:1).
Prince William County Public Schools also operates Charles J. Colgan Sr. High (2,956 students) and Woodbridge High (2,898 students) alongside Piney Branch 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 Piney Branch Elementary compares
Piney Branch 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.1% | ▼ 76% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 760 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
760
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 90% in Virginia - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.2%
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
$13,913
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 47.9%
Asian 19.6%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
Two or More 9.6%
African American 7.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.5, Piney Branch Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince William County Public Schools, which includes Piney Branch Elementary.
$13,913
Per student
-5%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.2%
State 44.1%
Federal 8.6%
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 Piney Branch Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles J. Colgan Sr. High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbridge High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Osbourn Park High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gar-Field High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Piney Branch Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,956
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,898
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,661
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,524
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Bristow
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Chris Yung Elementary
Standard public school
719 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Victory Elementary
Standard public school
661 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Bristow Run Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Cedar Point Elementary
Standard public school
510 students 15.5:1 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 (~760 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Piney Branch Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Piney Branch Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Prince William 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 Piney Branch Elementary
How many students attend Piney Branch Elementary?
Piney Branch Elementary has 760 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bristow, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Piney Branch Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Piney Branch Elementary is 16.9:1, which is 22% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Piney Branch Elementary?
14.1% of students at Piney Branch Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Piney Branch Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Piney Branch Elementary is White at 47.9% of enrollment, in Bristow, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Piney Branch Elementary?
Piney Branch Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Piney Branch Elementary rank among schools in Bristow?
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Branch Elementary ranks #5 of 5 schools in Bristow, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bristow on the city page.
Is Piney Branch Elementary a good school?
Piney Branch Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Prince William County Public Schools?
Besides Piney Branch Elementary, Prince William County Public Schools also operates Charles J. Colgan Sr. High (2,956 students), Woodbridge High (2,898 students), and Osbourn Park High (2,661 students). See the Prince William 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.