Enrollment
386
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hampton, VA
William Mason Cooper Elementary
Federal NCES profile for William Mason Cooper Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510180000763
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William Mason Cooper Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #4 of 18
- schools in Hampton · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 88.9%
- free-lunch eligible
William Mason Cooper Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William Mason Cooper Elementary ranks #4 of 18 schools in Hampton, VA.
School address
District: Hampton City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510180000763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Mason Cooper Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at William Mason Cooper Elementary
William Mason Cooper Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hampton, Virginia, enrolling 386 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 88.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 386 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 374 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by African American (71%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 386 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hampton's public schools, it stands alongside George P. Phenix Elementary (1,438 students): William Mason Cooper Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 9:1).
Hampton City Public Schools also operates Bethel High (1,769 students) and Kecoughtan High (1,553 students) alongside William Mason Cooper 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 William Mason Cooper Elementary compares
William Mason Cooper 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.9% | ▲ 54% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 386 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
386
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 58% in Virginia - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,463
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 386 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 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 70.7%
Two or More 12.4%
White 10.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 70.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.1, William Mason Cooper Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hampton City Public Schools, which includes William Mason Cooper Elementary.
$13,463
Per student
-8%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 51.0%
Federal 17.4%
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 William Mason Cooper Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kecoughtan High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George P. Phenix Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Phoebus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hampton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William Mason Cooper Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,769
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,553
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,438
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,301
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Hampton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
George P. Phenix Elementary
Standard public school
1,438 students 9:1 students per teacher
Hunter B. Andrews
Standard public school
1,081 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
A.W.E. Bassette Elementary
Standard public school
486 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Aberdeen Elementary
Standard public school
482 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Christopher C. Kraft Elementary
Standard public school
452 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Phillips Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 16.1:1 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 (~386 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William Mason Cooper Elementary's federal record.
- Compare William Mason Cooper Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hampton 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 William Mason Cooper Elementary
How many students attend William Mason Cooper Elementary?
William Mason Cooper Elementary has 386 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hampton, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Mason Cooper Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at William Mason Cooper Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 3% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William Mason Cooper Elementary?
88.9% of students at William Mason Cooper Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Mason Cooper Elementary?
The largest demographic group at William Mason Cooper Elementary is African American at 70.7% of enrollment, in Hampton, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Mason Cooper Elementary?
William Mason Cooper Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 William Mason Cooper Elementary rank among schools in Hampton?
By Resource Investment Index, William Mason Cooper Elementary ranks #4 of 18 schools in Hampton, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hampton on the city page.
Is William Mason Cooper Elementary a good school?
William Mason Cooper Elementary earns 54/100 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 Hampton City Public Schools?
Besides William Mason Cooper Elementary, Hampton City Public Schools also operates Bethel High (1,769 students), Kecoughtan High (1,553 students), and George P. Phenix Elementary (1,438 students). See the Hampton 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.