Enrollment
1,033
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Virginia Beach, VA
Plaza Middle
Federal NCES profile for Plaza Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510384001710
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plaza Middle earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #4 of 14
- middle schools in Virginia Beach · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 39.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Plaza Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plaza Middle ranks #4 of 14 middle schools in Virginia Beach, VA.
School address
District: Virginia Beach City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510384001710 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plaza Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plaza Middle
Plaza Middle is a large middle school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, enrolling 1,033 students.
At 14:1, 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 39.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,033 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 204 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 215 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,033 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Virginia Beach's middle schools, it stands alongside Larkspur Middle (1,488 students): Plaza Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 15.8:1).
Virginia Beach City Public Schools also operates Landstown High (2,152 students) and Kempsville High (2,046 students) alongside Plaza Middle.
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 Plaza Middle compares
Plaza Middle 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% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▼ 31% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,033 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,033
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 53% in Virginia - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$14,118
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
Counselors3.5 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
99
in-school suspensions + 116 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.8 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 45.9%
African American 23.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.3%
Two or More 11.6%
Asian 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.0, Plaza Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, which includes Plaza Middle.
$14,118
Per student
-4%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 39.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Plaza Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landstown High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kempsville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tallwood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Floyd Kellam High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plaza Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,152
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,984
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,842
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools in Virginia Beach
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Larkspur Middle
Standard public school
1,488 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Princess Anne Middle
Standard public school
1,358 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Landstown Middle
Standard public school
1,272 students 15:1 students per teacher
Independence Middle
Standard public school
1,193 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Salem Middle
Standard public school
1,072 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Brandon Middle
Standard public school
1,053 students 16:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,033 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plaza Middle's federal record.
- Compare Plaza Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Virginia Beach City 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 Plaza Middle
How many students attend Plaza Middle?
Plaza Middle has 1,033 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Virginia Beach, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plaza Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Plaza Middle is 14:1, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plaza Middle?
39.6% of students at Plaza Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plaza Middle?
The largest demographic group at Plaza Middle is White at 45.9% of enrollment, in Virginia Beach, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plaza Middle?
Plaza Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Plaza Middle rank among middle schools in Virginia Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Plaza Middle ranks #4 of 14 middle schools in Virginia Beach, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Virginia Beach on the city page.
Is Plaza Middle a good school?
Plaza Middle earns 56/100 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 Virginia Beach City Public Schools?
Besides Plaza Middle, Virginia Beach City Public Schools also operates Landstown High (2,152 students), Kempsville High (2,046 students), and Bayside High (1,984 students). See the Virginia Beach City 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.