Enrollment
229
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Norfolk, VA
St. Helena Elementary
Federal NCES profile for St. Helena Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510267001137
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. Helena Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #6 of 29
- schools in Norfolk · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.8:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 96.1%
- free-lunch eligible
St. Helena Elementary has class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St. Helena Elementary ranks #6 of 29 schools in Norfolk, VA.
School address
District: Norfolk City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510267001137 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. Helena Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. Helena Elementary
St. Helena Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Norfolk, Virginia, enrolling 229 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, St. Helena Elementary is leaner than roughly 98% of Virginia schools and 37% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 96.1% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Virginia schools, with 229 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 122 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #59.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 229 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% 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: 49 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 229 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Norfolk's public schools, it stands alongside Crossroads Prek-8 School (790 students): St. Helena Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.8:1 vs 12.5:1).
Norfolk City Public Schools also operates Granby High (1,980 students) and Matthew Fontaine Maury High (1,713 students) alongside St. Helena 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 St. Helena Elementary compares
St. Helena 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 37% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.1% | ▲ 67% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 229 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
229
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 37% below state mean
Top 2% in Virginia - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.9%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 229 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.4 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 87.8%
Two or More 7.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
White 1.3%
Largest group: African American at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.3, St. Helena Elementary 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 St. Helena Elementary.
$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 St. Helena Elementary 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 St. Helena Elementary'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 other schools in Norfolk
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Crossroads Prek-8 School
Standard public school
790 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Jacox Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Larrymore Elementary
Standard public school
584 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Little Creek Elementary
Standard public school
583 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Ingleside Elementary
Standard public school
574 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Coleman Place Elementary
Standard public school
551 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~229 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. Helena Elementary's federal record.
- Compare St. Helena Elementary 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 St. Helena Elementary
How many students attend St. Helena Elementary?
St. Helena Elementary has 229 students enrolled. It is a public school in Norfolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. Helena Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at St. Helena Elementary is 8.8:1, which is 37% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 44% 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 St. Helena Elementary?
96.1% of students at St. Helena Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Helena Elementary?
The largest demographic group at St. Helena Elementary is African American at 87.8% of enrollment, in Norfolk, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. Helena Elementary?
St. Helena Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 St. Helena Elementary rank among schools in Norfolk?
By Resource Investment Index, St. Helena Elementary ranks #6 of 29 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 schools in Norfolk on the city page.
Is St. Helena Elementary a good school?
St. Helena Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% 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 St. Helena Elementary, 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.