Enrollment
686
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 510267001085
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella — Norfolk, VA
Federal NCES profile for Southside Stem Academy at Campostella, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
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: Norfolk 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)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.1%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Stem Academy at Campostella 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
Southside Stem Academy at Campostella reports 686 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 58.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 20% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 95.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 59% above the Virginia average and 84% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 343 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 40.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Norfolk City Public Schools spends $15,833 per pupil district-wide, below the Virginia average of $16,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.5% from local sources (property taxes), 46.2% from the state, and 19.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), 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 Southside Stem Academy at Campostella 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.1% | ▲ 59% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 686 | top 67% | — | — |
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
95.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 59% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 29% in Virginia — lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$15,833
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
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
Enrollment 686 Top 67% in Virginia — larger than 33% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 58.0
Students per teacher 12.7:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 95.1% +59% vs state
NCES ID 510267001085
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 343:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 40.2%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 185
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Norfolk City Public Schools, which includes Southside Stem Academy at Campostella.
$15,833
Per student
-2%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,585
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
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 14.4:1 students per teacher
Lake Taylor
Standard public school
664 students 12:1 students per teacher
Ocean View Elementary
Standard public school
512 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Ghent K-8
Standard public school
501 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Tidewater Park Elementary
Standard public school
124 students 9.5:1 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 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 a 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 12.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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 59.9%.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 38/100 (F) 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.