Enrollment
250
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bristol, VA
Valley Institute Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valley Institute Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510390001750
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Institute Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #1 of 6
- schools in Bristol · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.6:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 80.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Institute Elementary has class sizes smaller than 96% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Institute Elementary ranks #1 of 6 schools in Bristol, VA.
School address
District: Washington County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510390001750 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.6:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.5%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Institute Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Institute Elementary
Valley Institute Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Bristol, Virginia, enrolling 250 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.6:1, Valley Institute Elementary is leaner than roughly 96% of Virginia schools and 31% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 250 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 174 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #36.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 250 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Bristol's public schools, it stands alongside High Point Elementary (582 students): Valley Institute Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.6:1 vs 14.2:1).
Washington County Public Schools also operates Abingdon High (914 students) and E.B. Stanley Middle (659 students) alongside Valley Institute 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 Valley Institute Elementary compares
Valley Institute 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 | 9.6:1 | ▼ 31% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.5% | ▲ 40% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 250 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.6:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
250
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.6:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 4% in Virginia - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,303
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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
White 93.2%
Two or More 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Largest group: White at 93.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.9, Valley Institute Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington County Public Schools, which includes Valley Institute Elementary.
$13,303
Per student
-9%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.6%
State 50.9%
Federal 12.5%
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 Valley Institute Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| E.B. Stanley Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John S. Battle High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| High Point Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Watauga Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Institute Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 581
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Bristol
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
High Point Elementary
Standard public school
582 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Joseph Van Pelt Elementary
Standard public school
417 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Stonewall Jackson Elementary
Standard public school
254 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Washington-Lee Elementary
Standard public school
224 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Highland View Elementary
Standard public school
175 students 11.7:1 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 (~250 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Institute Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valley Institute Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Washington 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 Valley Institute Elementary
How many students attend Valley Institute Elementary?
Valley Institute Elementary has 250 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bristol, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Institute Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Institute Elementary is 9.6:1, which is 31% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 39% 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 Valley Institute Elementary?
80.5% of students at Valley Institute Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Institute Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valley Institute Elementary is White at 93.2% of enrollment, in Bristol, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Institute Elementary?
Valley Institute Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Valley Institute Elementary rank among schools in Bristol?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Institute Elementary ranks #1 of 6 schools in Bristol, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bristol on the city page.
Is Valley Institute Elementary a good school?
Valley Institute Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Washington County Public Schools?
Besides Valley Institute Elementary, Washington County Public Schools also operates Abingdon High (914 students), E.B. Stanley Middle (659 students), and John S. Battle High (613 students). See the Washington 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.