Enrollment
277
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Richmond, VA
Richmond Alternative
Federal NCES profile for Richmond Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510324002307
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richmond Alternative earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Virginia schools.
- #63 of 63
- schools in Richmond · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 55.4:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 277
- students enrolled
Richmond Alternative has class sizes larger than 99% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richmond Alternative ranks #63 of 63 schools in Richmond, VA.
School address
District: Richmond City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510324002307 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
55.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+299% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richmond Alternative compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richmond Alternative
Richmond Alternative is a small combined-grade school in Richmond, Virginia, enrolling 277 students.
Class loads run heavy: 55.4:1 is larger than about 99% of Virginia schools and 299% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 277 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 46/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Richmond City Public Schools spends $21,583 per pupil, 47% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 271 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 277 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Richmond's public schools, it stands alongside Elizabeth Holladay Elementary (859 students): Richmond Alternative is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (55.4:1 vs 16.2:1).
Richmond City Public Schools also operates Huguenot High (1,469 students) and River City Middle (1,150 students) alongside Richmond Alternative.
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 Richmond Alternative compares
Richmond Alternative on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 55.4:1 | ▲ 299% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
55.4:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
55.4:1
students per teacher
- 299% above state mean
Top 99% in Virginia - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
47.7%
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
$21,583
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
77
in-school suspensions + 194 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 27.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 97.8 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 67.5%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
Asian 1.8%
Two or More 1.4%
White 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 67.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.3, Richmond Alternative is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richmond City Public Schools, which includes Richmond Alternative.
$21,583
Per student
+47%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 34.3%
Federal 25.7%
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 Richmond Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huguenot High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| River City Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| George Wythe High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cardinal Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richmond Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,469
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,150
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 821
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 749
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Richmond
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Elizabeth Holladay Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Falling Creek Elementary
Standard public school
823 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
821 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Maybeury Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Dumbarton Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Tuckahoe Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 16.6:1 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 (~277 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~55.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richmond Alternative's federal record.
- Compare Richmond Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- Richmond 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 Richmond Alternative
How many students attend Richmond Alternative?
Richmond Alternative has 277 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Richmond, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richmond Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Richmond Alternative is 55.4:1, which is 299% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 253% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richmond Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Richmond Alternative is African American at 67.5% of enrollment, in Richmond, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richmond Alternative?
Richmond Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Richmond Alternative rank among schools in Richmond?
By Resource Investment Index, Richmond Alternative ranks #63 of 63 schools in Richmond, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Richmond on the city page.
Is Richmond Alternative a good school?
Richmond Alternative earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Richmond City Public Schools?
Besides Richmond Alternative, Richmond City Public Schools also operates Huguenot High (1,469 students), River City Middle (1,150 students), and George Wythe High (1,116 students). See the Richmond 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.