Enrollment
686
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Norfolk, VA
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella
Federal NCES profile for Southside Stem Academy at Campostella, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 510267001085
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #5 of 6
- elementary schools in Norfolk · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 95.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella has class sizes smaller than 81% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Stem Academy at Campostella ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Norfolk, VA.
School address
District: Norfolk City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510267001085 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Stem Academy at Campostella compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Stem Academy at Campostella
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Norfolk, Virginia, enrolling 686 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 95.1% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 686 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 278 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #227, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 194 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 686 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Norfolk's elementary schools, it stands alongside Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (739 students): Southside Stem Academy at Campostella is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 14.8:1).
Norfolk City Public Schools also operates Granby High (1,980 students) and Matthew Fontaine Maury High (1,713 students) alongside Southside Stem Academy at Campostella.
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 Southside Stem Academy at Campostella compares
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 15% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.1% | ▲ 65% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 686 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
686
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 19% in Virginia - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$15,139
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 185 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.3 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
African American 87.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 3.9%
White 1.5%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Southside Stem Academy at Campostella is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Norfolk City Public Schools, which includes Southside Stem Academy at Campostella.
$15,139
Per student
+3%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.2%
Federal 19.3%
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 Southside Stem Academy at Campostella Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granby High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Matthew Fontaine Maury High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Norview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Norview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blair Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside Stem Academy at Campostella's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,585
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar elementary schools in Norfolk
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Academy for Discovery at Lakewood
Standard public school
739 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Lake Taylor
Standard public school
664 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Elementary
Standard public school
512 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Ghent K-8
Standard public school
501 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Tidewater Park Elementary
Standard public school
124 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~686 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Stem Academy at Campostella's federal record.
- Compare Southside Stem Academy at Campostella against another school. Compare schools
- Norfolk City 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 Southside Stem Academy at Campostella
How many students attend Southside Stem Academy at Campostella?
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella has 686 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Norfolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Stem Academy at Campostella?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Stem Academy at Campostella is 11.8:1, which is 15% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 25% 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 Southside Stem Academy at Campostella?
95.1% of students at Southside Stem Academy at Campostella are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Stem Academy at Campostella?
The largest demographic group at Southside Stem Academy at Campostella is African American at 87.5% of enrollment, in Norfolk, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Stem Academy at Campostella?
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Southside Stem Academy at Campostella rank among elementary schools in Norfolk?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Stem Academy at Campostella ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Norfolk, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Norfolk on the city page.
Is Southside Stem Academy at Campostella a good school?
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Virginia schools. 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 Norfolk City Public Schools?
Besides Southside Stem Academy at Campostella, Norfolk City Public Schools also operates Granby High (1,980 students), Matthew Fontaine Maury High (1,713 students), and Norview High (1,585 students). See the Norfolk City 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.