Enrollment
430
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sterling, VA
Sterling Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sterling Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510225000932
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sterling Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Virginia schools.
- #10 of 14
- schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.2:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 98.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Sterling Elementary has class sizes smaller than 93% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Elementary ranks #10 of 14 schools in Sterling, VA.
School address
District: Loudoun County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510225000932 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sterling Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sterling Elementary
Sterling Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sterling, Virginia, enrolling 430 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.2:1, Sterling Elementary is leaner than roughly 93% of Virginia schools and 27% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 98.6% of students qualify for free meals, 71% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 430 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 271 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (64%) and Asian (14%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Loudoun County Public Schools spends $18,953 per pupil, 29% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Sterling's public schools, it stands alongside Dominion High (1,453 students): Sterling Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.2:1 vs 11.6:1).
Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students) and Lightridge High (2,030 students) alongside Sterling 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 Sterling Elementary compares
Sterling 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 | 10.2:1 | ▼ 27% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.6% | ▲ 71% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.2:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
430
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
10.2:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 7% in Virginia - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
10.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$18,953
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 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 64.4%
Asian 13.5%
White 10.9%
African American 6.7%
Two or More 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Sterling Elementary is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Loudoun County Public Schools, which includes Sterling Elementary.
$18,953
Per student
+29%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.9%
State 27.1%
Federal 5.0%
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 Sterling Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lightridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Briar Woods High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Champe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sterling Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,166
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,851
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in Sterling
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Dominion High
Standard public school
1,453 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Elaine E. Thompson Elementary
Standard public school
756 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Countryside Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 13:1 students per teacher
Potowmack Elementary
Standard public school
568 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Rolling Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
562 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Forest Grove Elementary
Standard public school
529 students 10.6:1 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 (~430 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sterling Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sterling Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Loudoun 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 Sterling Elementary
How many students attend Sterling Elementary?
Sterling Elementary has 430 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sterling, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sterling Elementary is 10.2:1, which is 27% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 35% 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 Sterling Elementary?
98.6% of students at Sterling Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sterling Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 64.4% of enrollment, in Sterling, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling Elementary?
Sterling Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Sterling Elementary rank among schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Elementary ranks #10 of 14 schools in Sterling, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sterling on the city page.
Is Sterling Elementary a good school?
Sterling Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 Loudoun County Public Schools?
Besides Sterling Elementary, Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students), Lightridge High (2,030 students), and Freedom High (1,885 students). See the Loudoun 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.