Enrollment
949
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Petersburg, VA
Vernon Johns Middle
Federal NCES profile for Vernon Johns Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510291002794
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vernon Johns Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #4 of 7
- public schools in Petersburg · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 98.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Vernon Johns Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vernon Johns Middle ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Petersburg, VA.
School address
District: Petersburg City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510291002794 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vernon Johns Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vernon Johns Middle
Vernon Johns Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Petersburg, Virginia, enrolling 949 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 98.7% of students qualify for free meals, 71% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 949 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
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 118 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #103, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 499 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 949 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 41 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Petersburg City Public Schools also operates Petersburg High (1,215 students) and Walnut Hill Elementary (574 students) alongside Vernon Johns Middle.
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 Vernon Johns Middle compares
Vernon Johns Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.7% | ▲ 71% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 949 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
949
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.7%
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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in Virginia - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
44.4%
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
$15,113
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 316 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
90
in-school suspensions + 409 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 52.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 41 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 82.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
White 5.2%
Two or More 0.4%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 82.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, Vernon Johns Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Petersburg City Public Schools, which includes Vernon Johns Middle.
$15,113
Per student
+3%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.8%
State 58.1%
Federal 25.0%
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 Vernon Johns Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walnut Hill Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cool Spring Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pleasants Lane Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westview Early Childhood Education Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vernon Johns Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,215
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 574
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 493
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle 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 (~949 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vernon Johns Middle's federal record.
- Compare Vernon Johns Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Petersburg 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 Vernon Johns Middle
How many students attend Vernon Johns Middle?
Vernon Johns Middle has 949 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Petersburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vernon Johns Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Vernon Johns Middle is 14.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vernon Johns Middle?
98.7% of students at Vernon Johns Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vernon Johns Middle?
The largest demographic group at Vernon Johns Middle is African American at 82.7% of enrollment, in Petersburg, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vernon Johns Middle?
Vernon Johns Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Vernon Johns Middle rank among public schools in Petersburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Vernon Johns Middle ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Petersburg, 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 Petersburg on the city page.
Is Vernon Johns Middle a good school?
Vernon Johns Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. 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 Petersburg City Public Schools?
Besides Vernon Johns Middle, Petersburg City Public Schools also operates Petersburg High (1,215 students), Walnut Hill Elementary (574 students), and Cool Spring Elementary (540 students). See the Petersburg 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.