Enrollment
350
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rural Retreat, VA
Rural Retreat Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rural Retreat Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510411001804
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rural Retreat Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Rural Retreat · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 75.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rural Retreat Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rural Retreat Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Rural Retreat, VA.
School address
District: Wythe County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510411001804 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rural Retreat Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rural Retreat Elementary
Rural Retreat Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Rural Retreat, Virginia, enrolling 350 students.
At 14:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 350 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 276 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #204, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 350 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Wythe County Public Schools also operates Spiller Elementary (615 students) and George Wythe High (421 students) alongside Rural Retreat 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 Rural Retreat Elementary compares
Rural Retreat 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.1% | ▲ 30% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 53% in Virginia - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$12,353
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 350 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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
White 94.6%
Two or More 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 94.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.4, Rural Retreat Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wythe County Public Schools, which includes Rural Retreat Elementary.
$12,353
Per student
-16%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 57.0%
Federal 8.8%
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.
How Rural Retreat Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spiller Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George Wythe High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Chiswell High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Chiswell Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scott Memorial Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rural Retreat Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 411
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~350 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rural Retreat Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rural Retreat Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wythe 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 Rural Retreat Elementary
How many students attend Rural Retreat Elementary?
Rural Retreat Elementary has 350 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rural Retreat, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rural Retreat Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rural Retreat Elementary is 14:1, which is 1% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rural Retreat Elementary?
75.1% of students at Rural Retreat Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rural Retreat Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rural Retreat Elementary is White at 94.6% of enrollment, in Rural Retreat, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rural Retreat Elementary?
Rural Retreat Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Rural Retreat Elementary rank among public schools in Rural Retreat?
By Resource Investment Index, Rural Retreat Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Rural Retreat, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Rural Retreat on the city page.
Is Rural Retreat Elementary a good school?
Rural Retreat Elementary earns 45/100 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 Wythe County Public Schools?
Besides Rural Retreat Elementary, Wythe County Public Schools also operates Spiller Elementary (615 students), George Wythe High (421 students), and Fort Chiswell High (411 students). See the Wythe 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.