Enrollment
872
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Centreville, VA
Powell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Powell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510126002336
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Powell Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #2 of 10
- schools in Centreville · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 17.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Powell Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Powell Elementary ranks #2 of 10 schools in Centreville, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126002336 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Powell Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Powell Elementary
Powell Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Centreville, Virginia, enrolling 872 students.
At 14.3:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.1% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Virginia average.
Enrollment of 872 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.
Against 270 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #137.
Its student body is led by Asian (60%) and White (18%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 436 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Centreville's public schools, it stands alongside Cardinal Ridge Elementary (834 students): Powell Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 14.6:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Powell 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 Powell Elementary compares
Powell 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.1% | ▼ 70% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 872 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
872
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 58% in Virginia - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 436 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
Asian 60.2%
White 17.9%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
African American 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 60.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, Powell Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Powell Elementary.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%
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 Powell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Powell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Centreville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cardinal Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
834 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Bull Run Elementary
Standard public school
766 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Centreville Elementary
Standard public school
741 students 13:1 students per teacher
Virginia Run Elementary
Standard public school
724 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
London Towne Elementary
Standard public school
658 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Centre Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
635 students 12.2:1 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 (~872 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Powell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Powell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax 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 Powell Elementary
How many students attend Powell Elementary?
Powell Elementary has 872 students enrolled. It is a public school in Centreville, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Powell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Powell Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 3% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Powell Elementary?
17.1% of students at Powell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Powell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Powell Elementary is Asian at 60.2% of enrollment, in Centreville, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Powell Elementary?
Powell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Powell Elementary rank among schools in Centreville?
By Resource Investment Index, Powell Elementary ranks #2 of 10 schools in Centreville, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Centreville on the city page.
Is Powell Elementary a good school?
Powell Elementary earns 53/100 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Powell Elementary, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax 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.