Enrollment
435
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510234000965
Robert S. Payne Elementary — Lynchburg, VA
Federal NCES profile for Robert S. Payne Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 41
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: Lynchburg 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)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.1%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert S. Payne 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
Robert S. Payne Elementary reports 435 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 32.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% 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 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 96.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 60% above the Virginia average and 86% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 218 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Lynchburg City Public Schools spends $15,827 per pupil district-wide, below the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 33.2% from local sources (property taxes), 50.0% from the state, and 16.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Robert S. Payne 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 | 14.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.1% | ▲ 60% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 435 | top 32% | — | — |
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
96.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 60% above the Virginia average of 59.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 60% in Virginia — lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
23.7%
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
$15,827
per pupil, district-wide
— below Virginia avg of $16,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 218 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 435 Top 32% in Virginia — larger than 68% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 32.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 96.1% +60% vs state
NCES ID 510234000965
Student demographics
African American 64.4%
White 18.2%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 64.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 218:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.7%
In-school suspensions 23
Out-of-school suspensions 33
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lynchburg City Public Schools, which includes Robert S. Payne Elementary.
$15,827
Per student
-2%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 33.2%
State 50.0%
Federal 16.8%
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
- 1,220
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,113
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
Similar other schools in Lynchburg
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Tomahawk Elementary
Standard public school
667 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Leesville Road Elementary
Standard public school
646 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
448 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Sheffield Elementary
Standard public school
443 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Bedford Hills Elementary
Standard public school
402 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Linkhorne Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 13.6:1 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 Robert S. Payne Elementary
How many students attend Robert S. Payne Elementary?
Robert S. Payne Elementary has 435 students enrolled. It is a other school in Lynchburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert S. Payne Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert S. Payne Elementary is 14.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert S. Payne Elementary?
96.1% of students at Robert S. Payne Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert S. Payne Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Robert S. Payne Elementary is African American at 64.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Lynchburg, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert S. Payne Elementary?
Robert S. Payne Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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.