Enrollment
326
Elementary
DISTRICT 467 · STATE 499
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NEWPORT NEWS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510264002471
Watkins Early Childhood Center
21 Burns Drive, Newport News, VA 23601 · (757) 591-4815 · Newport News city
GRADES PK–PKELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL326 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.0:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
101%
328 students
DISTRICT 99% · STATE 66%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 326 | 100% |
Student demographics
66%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONWhere Watkins Early Childhood Center ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Virginia | In Newport News city |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 326 | #940 of 1,176 | #26 of 27 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.2:1 | #611 of 1,105 | #1 of 27 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 66.4% | #353 of 1,106 | #11 of 27 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 101% | #78 of 1,157 | #7 of 27 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -35.4% | #21 of 759 | #2 of 25 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
326
-33 (-9%) vs 2020
-34% since 2010-11, when it was 491
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
was 16.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 326 | 23 | 14.2:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 322 | 23 | 14.0:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 329 | 15 | 21.9:1 | 92% (304) |
| 2020-21 | 359 | 22 | 16.3:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 505 | 30 | 16.8:1 | 83% (420) |
| 2015-16 | 489 | 30 | 16.3:1 | 62% (301) |
| 2010-11 | 491 | 28 | 17.5:1 | 55% (268) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Watkins Early Childhood Center.
Since 2017-18: students down 35% (505 to 326); teachers down 23% (30 to 23).
About Watkins Early Childhood Center
Watkins Early Childhood Center is an elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, and it is part of Newport News City Public Schools. The school enrolls 326 students, from pre-K. An average school in this group (elementary schools in Virginia) has about 499 students.
The district for Watkins Early Childhood Center is Newport News City Public Schools, with 40 schools and 25,882 students.
By race and ethnicity, the largest group at Watkins Early Childhood Center is Black (49%). The remaining students are 26% Hispanic, 14% White, 8% multiracial, and 3% Asian. By the diversity index, Watkins Early Childhood Center comes in at 66%.
The school reports 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to about 14.2 students per teacher. Elementary schools in Virginia have a similar average ratio of 13.8:1.
Census estimates describe Newport News city this way: median household income is about $69,634, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 31% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 11%. Federal data list 48 public schools in Newport News city, with a combined enrollment of about 25,882.
The school nearest to Watkins Early Childhood Center is Joseph H. Saunders Elementary, at a distance of about 0.8 miles. Counting only straight-line distance, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is City: Mid-size: inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
The student count in 2024-25 was 326, 9% below the 359 of 2020-21. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio fell from 16.3:1 to 14.2:1.
Threads on this page can be about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Newport News city at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
184,216
Census ACS
Median income
$69,634
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
48
25,882 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Newport News City Public Schools
- Woodside HighHigh · 1,723 students
- Menchville HighHigh · 1,707 students
- Warwick HighHigh · 1,622 students
- Denbigh HighHigh · 1,269 students
- Heritage HighHigh · 1,106 students
- Ethel M. Gildersleeve MiddleMiddle · 1,087 students
Other schools in Newport News
- Woodside HighHigh · 1,723 students
- Menchville HighHigh · 1,707 students
- Warwick HighHigh · 1,622 students
- Denbigh HighHigh · 1,269 students
- Heritage HighHigh · 1,106 students
- Ethel M. Gildersleeve MiddleMiddle · 1,087 students
Nearby schools
- Joseph H. Saunders Elementary0.8 mi · 660
- Deer Park Elementary0.9 mi · 433
- Warwick High1.9 mi · 1,622
- George P. Phenix Elementary2.0 mi · 1,438
- Homer L. Hines Middle2.2 mi · 846
- Bethel High2.2 mi · 1,769
Frequently asked questions
About Watkins Early Childhood CenterHow large is Watkins Early Childhood Center?
Watkins Early Childhood Center enrolls approximately 326 students in grades PK-PK.
What grades does Watkins Early Childhood Center serve?
Watkins Early Childhood Center serves grades PK-PK.
How many teachers does Watkins Early Childhood Center have?
Watkins Early Childhood Center employs 23 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 14.2:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Watkins Early Childhood Center?
At Watkins Early Childhood Center, the student body is approximately 14% White, 26% Hispanic, 49% Black, 3% Asian, 8% Two or more.
What district is Watkins Early Childhood Center in?
Watkins Early Childhood Center is part of Newport News City Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.