Enrollment
403
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Norfolk, VA
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Walter Herron Taylor Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510267001144
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Virginia schools.
- #3 of 29
- schools in Norfolk · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 97.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary has class sizes larger than 94% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Herron Taylor Elementary ranks #3 of 29 schools in Norfolk, VA.
School address
District: Norfolk City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510267001144 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter Herron Taylor Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter Herron Taylor Elementary
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Norfolk, Virginia, enrolling 403 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.5:1 is larger than about 94% of Virginia schools and 26% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 97.9% of students qualify for free meals, 70% above the Virginia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 403 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 273 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (40%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 202 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Norfolk's public schools, it stands alongside Crossroads Prek-8 School (790 students): Walter Herron Taylor Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.5:1 vs 12.5:1).
Norfolk City Public Schools also operates Granby High (1,980 students) and Matthew Fontaine Maury High (1,713 students) alongside Walter Herron Taylor 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 Walter Herron Taylor Elementary compares
Walter Herron Taylor 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 26% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.9% | ▲ 70% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 403 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
403
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 94% in Virginia - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 202 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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
African American 42.7%
White 39.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 42.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Walter Herron Taylor Elementary is more 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 Walter Herron Taylor 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 Walter Herron Taylor Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granby High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Matthew Fontaine Maury High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Norview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Norview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blair Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter Herron Taylor 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 (~403 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter Herron Taylor Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Walter Herron Taylor 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 Walter Herron Taylor Elementary
How many students attend Walter Herron Taylor Elementary?
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary has 403 students enrolled. It is a public school in Norfolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter Herron Taylor Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter Herron Taylor Elementary is 17.5:1, which is 26% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walter Herron Taylor Elementary?
97.9% of students at Walter Herron Taylor Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter Herron Taylor Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Walter Herron Taylor Elementary is African American at 42.7% of enrollment, in Norfolk, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter Herron Taylor Elementary?
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Walter Herron Taylor Elementary rank among schools in Norfolk?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Herron Taylor Elementary ranks #3 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 Walter Herron Taylor Elementary a good school?
Walter Herron Taylor Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Norfolk City Public Schools?
Besides Walter Herron Taylor 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.