Enrollment
316
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 510234000966
Sandusky Elementary — Lynchburg, VA
Federal NCES profile for Sandusky Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 42
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)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.2%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandusky 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
Sandusky Elementary reports 316 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 14% 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 1% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 91.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 52% above the Virginia average and 76% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 316 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.4% 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 46/100 (D), 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 Sandusky 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 14% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.2% | ▲ 52% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 316 | top 17% | — | — |
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
91.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 52% 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
16:1
students per teacher
— 14% above state mean
Top 83% in Virginia — lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.4%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 316 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 316 Top 17% in Virginia — larger than 83% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 16:1 +14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 91.2% +52% vs state
NCES ID 510234000966
Student demographics
African American 50.9%
White 23.1%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 8.9%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 50.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 316:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.4%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lynchburg City Public Schools, which includes Sandusky 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
Robert S. Payne Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Bedford Hills Elementary
Standard public school
402 students 11.6:1 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 Sandusky Elementary
How many students attend Sandusky Elementary?
Sandusky Elementary has 316 students enrolled. It is a other school in Lynchburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandusky Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandusky Elementary is 16:1, which is 14% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sandusky Elementary?
91.2% of students at Sandusky Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandusky Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sandusky Elementary is African American at 50.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Lynchburg, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandusky Elementary?
Sandusky Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) 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.