Enrollment
277
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510324002307
Richmond Alternative — Richmond, VA
Federal NCES profile for Richmond Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 23/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
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: Richmond City 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)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
32.4:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+131% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richmond Alternative 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
Richmond Alternative reports 277 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 5.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 32.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 131% above the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 104% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 47.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Richmond City Public Schools spends $22,807 per pupil district-wide, above the Virginia average of $16,211 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.0% from local sources (property taxes), 34.3% from the state, and 25.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Richmond Alternative 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 | 32.4:1 | ▲ 131% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 13% | — | — |
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.
Staffing depth
32.4:1
students per teacher
— 131% above state mean
Top 100% in Virginia — lower ratio than 0% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
47.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,807
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
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
Enrollment 277 Top 13% in Virginia — larger than 87% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 5.0
Students per teacher 32.4:1 +131% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 510324002307
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 47.7%
In-school suspensions 77
Out-of-school suspensions 194
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richmond City Public Schools, which includes Richmond Alternative.
$22,807
Per student
+41%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,469
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,150
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,116
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 821
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 749
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
Similar other schools in Richmond
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Elizabeth Holladay Elementary
Standard public school
859 students 15:1 students per teacher
Falling Creek Elementary
Standard public school
823 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
821 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Maybeury Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Dumbarton Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 15:1 students per teacher
Tuckahoe Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 15.9:1 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 Richmond Alternative
How many students attend Richmond Alternative?
Richmond Alternative has 277 students enrolled. It is a other school in Richmond, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richmond Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Richmond Alternative is 32.4:1, which is 131% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 104% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richmond Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Richmond Alternative is African American at 67.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Richmond, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richmond Alternative?
Richmond Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.