Enrollment
581
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Abingdon, VA
Watauga Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Watauga Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510390001986
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watauga Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Virginia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Abingdon · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 65.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Watauga Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watauga Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Abingdon, VA.
School address
District: Washington County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510390001986 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watauga Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watauga Elementary
Watauga Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Abingdon, Virginia, enrolling 581 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.7% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 581 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 249 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #188, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 581 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Abingdon's public schools, it stands alongside Abingdon Elementary (426 students): Watauga Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 12.2:1).
Washington County Public Schools also operates Abingdon High (914 students) and E.B. Stanley Middle (659 students) alongside Watauga 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 Watauga Elementary compares
Watauga 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 10% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.7% | ▲ 14% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 581 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
581
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 73% in Virginia - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.7%
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
$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 581 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 89.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 1.5%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 89.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.6, Watauga 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 Watauga 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 Watauga Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| E.B. Stanley Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John S. Battle High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| High Point Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadowview Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watauga 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
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Abingdon
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~581 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watauga Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Watauga 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 Watauga Elementary
How many students attend Watauga Elementary?
Watauga Elementary has 581 students enrolled. It is a public school in Abingdon, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watauga Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Watauga Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 10% 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 Watauga Elementary?
65.7% of students at Watauga Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watauga Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Watauga Elementary is White at 89.5% of enrollment, in Abingdon, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watauga Elementary?
Watauga Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Watauga Elementary rank among schools in Abingdon?
By Resource Investment Index, Watauga Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Abingdon, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Abingdon on the city page.
Is Watauga Elementary a good school?
Watauga Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Watauga 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.