Enrollment
290
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mclean, VA
Sherman Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sherman Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510126000477
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sherman Elementary earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 5
- schools in Mclean · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 5.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sherman Elementary has class sizes smaller than 86% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman Elementary ranks #1 of 5 schools in Mclean, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126000477 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sherman Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sherman Elementary
Sherman Elementary is a lower-poverty, small combined-grade school in Mclean, Virginia, enrolling 290 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.2:1, Sherman Elementary is leaner than roughly 86% of Virginia schools and 19% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.3% free-meal eligibility runs 91% below the Virginia average.
Enrollment of 290 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 17 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #6.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Asian (25%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 290 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Sherman 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 Sherman Elementary compares
Sherman 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 | 11.2:1 | ▼ 19% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.3% | ▼ 91% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 290 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
290
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 14% in Virginia - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 290 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 56.9%
Asian 24.5%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
African American 3.1%
Largest group: White at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.3, Sherman Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Sherman Elementary.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%
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 Sherman Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sherman Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~290 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sherman Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sherman Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax 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 Sherman Elementary
How many students attend Sherman Elementary?
Sherman Elementary has 290 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mclean, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sherman Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sherman Elementary is 11.2:1, which is 19% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 29% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sherman Elementary?
5.3% of students at Sherman Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sherman Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sherman Elementary is White at 56.9% of enrollment, in Mclean, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sherman Elementary?
Sherman Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher 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 Sherman Elementary rank among schools in Mclean?
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman Elementary ranks #1 of 5 schools in Mclean, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mclean on the city page.
Is Sherman Elementary a good school?
Sherman Elementary earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Sherman Elementary, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax 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.