Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairfax, VA

Willow Springs Elementary

Federal NCES profile for Willow Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510126002147
0/100100/10049/100
👥 S:T ratio
38
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
18
📋 Attendance
68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Willow Springs Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools.

#14 of 19
schools in Fairfax · Resource Index
49
Resource Index · Higher
15.4:1
large classes for Virginia
10.4%
free-lunch eligible

Willow Springs Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Willow Springs Elementary ranks #14 of 19 schools in Fairfax, VA.

Enrollment

818

Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

53.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

15.4:1

vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg

+11% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

10.4%

vs 57.6% Virginia avg

-82% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Willow Springs Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Willow Springs Elementary

Willow Springs Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fairfax, Virginia, enrolling 818 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.

Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.4% free-meal eligibility runs 82% below the Virginia average.

Enrollment of 818 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.

Among 204 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #160, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is led by White (46%) and Asian (33%) (diversity index 67/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 409 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.

The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.

Among Fairfax's public schools, it stands alongside Robinson Secondary (3,710 students): Willow Springs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 17.1:1).

Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Willow Springs 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 Willow Springs Elementary compares

Willow Springs 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 15.4:1 ▲ 11% 13.9:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 10.4% ▼ 82% 57.6% 51.7%
Enrollment 818 top 23% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
818
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
10.4%
free-lunch eligible - 82% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher - 11% above state mean
Top 74% in Virginia - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide - above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 409 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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

White 45.6%
Asian 33.0%
Two or More 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
African American 5.5%

Largest group: White at 45.6% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 66.7/100

Simpson diversity index - at 66.7, Willow Springs Elementary is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Willow Springs Elementary.

$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%

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 Willow Springs Elementary Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Lake Braddock Secondary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Robinson Secondary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Hayfield Secondary Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Chantilly High Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
West Springfield High Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Willow Springs Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Fairfax County Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Fairfax

6 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Willow Springs Elementary's federal record.

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 Willow Springs Elementary

How many students attend Willow Springs Elementary?

Willow Springs Elementary has 818 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairfax, VA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Springs Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Willow Springs Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 11% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willow Springs Elementary?

10.4% of students at Willow Springs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow Springs Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Willow Springs Elementary is White at 45.6% of enrollment, in Fairfax, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.7/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Springs Elementary?

Willow Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Willow Springs Elementary rank among schools in Fairfax?

By Resource Investment Index, Willow Springs Elementary ranks #14 of 19 schools in Fairfax, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fairfax on the city page.

Is Willow Springs Elementary a good school?

Willow Springs Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?

Besides Willow Springs Elementary, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax County Public Schools district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.