Enrollment
568
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510225001158
Potowmack Elementary — Sterling, VA
Federal NCES profile for Potowmack Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 58/100.
👥 Class size 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 79
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: Loudoun County 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)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.0%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Potowmack Elementary 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
Potowmack Elementary reports 568 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 45.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% below the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 26% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 47.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 22% below the Virginia average and 9% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 355 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 8.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Loudoun County Public Schools spends $20,784 per pupil district-wide, above the Virginia average of $16,211 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 67.9% from local sources (property taxes), 27.1% from the state, and 5.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C), calculated from 4 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 Potowmack Elementary 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 16% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.0% | ▼ 22% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 52% | — | — |
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
47.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 22% below the Virginia average of 59.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher
— 16% below state mean
Top 17% in Virginia — lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
8.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$20,784
per pupil, district-wide
— above Virginia avg of $16,211
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 355 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 568 Top 52% in Virginia — larger than 48% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 45.0
Students per teacher 11.8:1 -16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 47.0% -22% vs state
NCES ID 510225001158
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 48.9%
White 25.9%
Asian 9.7%
African American 8.6%
Two or More 6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.6
Students per counselor 355:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 8.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Loudoun County Public Schools, which includes Potowmack Elementary.
$20,784
Per student
+28%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 67.9%
State 27.1%
Federal 5.0%
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
- 2,166
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,851
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
Similar other schools in Sterling
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Dominion High
Standard public school
1,453 students 12:1 students per teacher
Elaine E. Thompson Elementary
Standard public school
756 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Countryside Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Rolling Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 10:1 students per teacher
Forest Grove Elementary
Standard public school
529 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Lowes Island Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 13.5:1 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 Potowmack Elementary
How many students attend Potowmack Elementary?
Potowmack Elementary has 568 students enrolled. It is a other school in Sterling, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Potowmack Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Potowmack Elementary is 11.8:1, which is 16% lower than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 26% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Potowmack Elementary?
47.0% of students at Potowmack Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Potowmack Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Potowmack Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 48.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Sterling, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Potowmack Elementary?
Potowmack Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.