Enrollment
2,582
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Chester, VA
Thomas Dale High
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Dale High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510084000350
👥 S:T ratio 39
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Dale High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #11 of 11
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas Dale High has class sizes larger than 71% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Dale High ranks #11 of 11 public schools in Chester, VA.
School address
District: Chesterfield County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510084000350 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
170.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Dale High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Dale High
Thomas Dale High is a large high school in Chester, Virginia, enrolling 2,582 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,582 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 45 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #40, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (38%) and White (34%) (diversity index 70/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 304 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chester's high schools, it stands alongside Carver College and Career Academy (272 students): Thomas Dale High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 7:1).
Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Cosby High (2,507 students) and Manchester High (2,236 students) alongside Thomas Dale 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 Thomas Dale High compares
Thomas Dale 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▼ 36% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,582 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,582
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in Virginia - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$12,207
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
Counselors8.5 FTE
Per 304 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
209
in-school suspensions + 182 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 37.7%
White 33.6%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 37.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Thomas Dale High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chesterfield County Public Schools, which includes Thomas Dale High.
$12,207
Per student
-17%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 47.1%
Federal 10.1%
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 Thomas Dale High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosby High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lloyd C. Bird High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Midlothian High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadowbrook High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Dale High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,507
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,236
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,953
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Chester
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~2,582 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Dale High's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Dale High against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield 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 Thomas Dale High
How many students attend Thomas Dale High?
Thomas Dale High has 2,582 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chester, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Dale High?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Dale High is 15.2:1, which is 9% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas Dale High?
36.9% of students at Thomas Dale High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Dale High?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Dale High is African American at 37.7% of enrollment, in Chester, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Dale High?
Thomas Dale High has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 Thomas Dale High rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Dale High ranks #11 of 11 public schools in Chester, 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 Chester on the city page.
Is Thomas Dale High a good school?
Thomas Dale High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Chesterfield County Public Schools?
Besides Thomas Dale High, Chesterfield County Public Schools also operates Cosby High (2,507 students), Manchester High (2,236 students), and Lloyd C. Bird High (2,131 students). See the Chesterfield 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.