Enrollment
557
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Harrisonburg, VA
Waterman Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Waterman Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510186000787
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterman Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #4 of 8
- schools in Harrisonburg · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 78.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterman Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterman Elementary ranks #4 of 8 schools in Harrisonburg, VA.
School address
District: Harrisonburg City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510186000787 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterman Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterman Elementary
Waterman Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, enrolling 557 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 557 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 429 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #96.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (19%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Harrisonburg's public schools, it stands alongside Stone Spring Elementary (554 students): Waterman Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13:1 vs 12.3:1).
Harrisonburg City Public Schools also operates Harrisonburg High (998 students) and Thomas Harrison Middle (771 students) alongside Waterman 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 Waterman Elementary compares
Waterman 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 6% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.9% | ▲ 37% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 557 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
557
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in Virginia - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.1%
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
$14,710
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 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 65.7%
White 18.9%
African American 8.6%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Waterman Elementary is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, which includes Waterman Elementary.
$14,710
Per student
+0%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.5%
State 25.9%
Federal 7.6%
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 Waterman Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Harrison Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Skyline Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bluestone Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stone Spring Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterman Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 7.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Harrisonburg
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Stone Spring Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Smithland Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Keister Elementary
Standard public school
475 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Spotswood Elementary
Standard public school
468 students 12:1 students per teacher
Mountain View Elementary
Standard public school
411 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lacey Spring Elementary
Standard public school
350 students 19.4:1 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 (~557 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterman Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Waterman Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harrisonburg 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 Waterman Elementary
How many students attend Waterman Elementary?
Waterman Elementary has 557 students enrolled. It is a public school in Harrisonburg, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterman Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterman Elementary is 13:1, which is 6% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 17% 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 Waterman Elementary?
78.9% of students at Waterman Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterman Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Waterman Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 65.7% of enrollment, in Harrisonburg, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterman Elementary?
Waterman Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Waterman Elementary rank among schools in Harrisonburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterman Elementary ranks #4 of 8 schools in Harrisonburg, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Harrisonburg on the city page.
Is Waterman Elementary a good school?
Waterman Elementary earns 53/100 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 Harrisonburg City Public Schools?
Besides Waterman Elementary, Harrisonburg City Public Schools also operates Harrisonburg High (998 students), Thomas Harrison Middle (771 students), and Skyline Middle (738 students). See the Harrisonburg 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.