Enrollment
1,322
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Smithfield, VA
Smithfield High
Federal NCES profile for Smithfield High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510201000875
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smithfield High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Virginia schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Smithfield · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 31.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Smithfield High has class sizes larger than 90% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smithfield High ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Smithfield, VA.
School address
District: Isle of Wight County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510201000875 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.8%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smithfield High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smithfield High
Smithfield High is a large high school in Smithfield, Virginia, enrolling 1,322 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 90% of Virginia schools and 22% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,322 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 159 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #120, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 264 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Isle of Wight County Public Schools also operates Westside Elementary (682 students) and Hardy Elementary (649 students) alongside Smithfield High.
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 Smithfield High compares
Smithfield High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.8% | ▼ 45% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,322 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,322
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 90% in Virginia - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$12,803
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 264 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 146 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.0 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 52.3%
African American 32.1%
Two or More 7.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.7%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.4, Smithfield High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Isle of Wight County Public Schools, which includes Smithfield High.
$12,803
Per student
-13%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 47.9%
Federal 14.2%
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 Smithfield High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westside Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hardy Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Windsor Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carrollton Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smithfield Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smithfield High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 682
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 649
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high 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 (~1,322 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smithfield High's federal record.
- Compare Smithfield High against another school. Compare schools
- Isle of Wight 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 Smithfield High
How many students attend Smithfield High?
Smithfield High has 1,322 students enrolled. It is a high school in Smithfield, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smithfield High?
The student-teacher ratio at Smithfield High is 16.9:1, which is 22% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smithfield High?
31.8% of students at Smithfield High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smithfield High?
The largest demographic group at Smithfield High is White at 52.3% of enrollment, in Smithfield, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smithfield High?
Smithfield High has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smithfield High rank among public schools in Smithfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Smithfield High ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Smithfield, 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 Smithfield on the city page.
Is Smithfield High a good school?
Smithfield High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Isle of Wight County Public Schools?
Besides Smithfield High, Isle of Wight County Public Schools also operates Westside Elementary (682 students), Hardy Elementary (649 students), and Windsor Elementary (624 students). See the Isle of Wight 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.