Enrollment
492
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Norfolk, VA
Richard Bowling Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Richard Bowling Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510267001083
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richard Bowling Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #27 of 29
- schools in Norfolk · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 97.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Richard Bowling Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richard Bowling Elementary ranks #27 of 29 schools in Norfolk, VA.
School address
District: Norfolk City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510267001083 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.0%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richard Bowling Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richard Bowling Elementary
Richard Bowling Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Norfolk, Virginia, enrolling 492 students.
At 13.3:1, 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.
Economic need is high: 97.0% of students qualify for free meals, 68% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 492 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 297 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #271, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 492 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 117 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 492 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Norfolk's public schools, it stands alongside Crossroads Prek-8 School (790 students): Richard Bowling Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.3:1 vs 12.5:1).
Norfolk City Public Schools also operates Granby High (1,980 students) and Matthew Fontaine Maury High (1,713 students) alongside Richard Bowling 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 Richard Bowling Elementary compares
Richard Bowling 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.0% | ▲ 68% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 492 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
492
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 42% in Virginia - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,139
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 492 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.8 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
African American 87.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Two or More 3.5%
White 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.4, Richard Bowling Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Norfolk City Public Schools, which includes Richard Bowling Elementary.
$15,139
Per student
+3%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.2%
Federal 19.3%
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 Richard Bowling Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granby High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Matthew Fontaine Maury High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Norview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Norview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blair Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richard Bowling Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,585
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Norfolk
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Crossroads Prek-8 School
Standard public school
790 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Jacox Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Larrymore Elementary
Standard public school
584 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Little Creek Elementary
Standard public school
583 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Ingleside Elementary
Standard public school
574 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Coleman Place Elementary
Standard public school
551 students 13.4:1 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 (~492 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richard Bowling Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Richard Bowling Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Norfolk 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 Richard Bowling Elementary
How many students attend Richard Bowling Elementary?
Richard Bowling Elementary has 492 students enrolled. It is a public school in Norfolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richard Bowling Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Richard Bowling Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 4% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richard Bowling Elementary?
97.0% of students at Richard Bowling Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richard Bowling Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Richard Bowling Elementary is African American at 87.8% of enrollment, in Norfolk, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richard Bowling Elementary?
Richard Bowling Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Richard Bowling Elementary rank among schools in Norfolk?
By Resource Investment Index, Richard Bowling Elementary ranks #27 of 29 schools in Norfolk, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Norfolk on the city page.
Is Richard Bowling Elementary a good school?
Richard Bowling Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Norfolk City Public Schools?
Besides Richard Bowling Elementary, Norfolk City Public Schools also operates Granby High (1,980 students), Matthew Fontaine Maury High (1,713 students), and Norview High (1,585 students). See the Norfolk 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.