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Excellent

#173 of 1,851 schools in VA

Top 9% in state

Bethel Elementary

Elementary School · Gloucester County Public Schools · Gloucester, VA

A Gloucester County Public Schools elementary school where students score 14 points above what's typical for similar communities.

2991 Hickory Fork Rd, Gloucester, VA 23061

  • Math 91% vs VA 74% (2025)
  • Reading 81% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress8.9Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-0.16 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics8.9Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency91% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency81% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg+17.8 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+5.3 pts
Overall Proficiency86% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)72% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected+13.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile84th
Resources & Environment6.9Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.1:1
District spending per student$14,604
Chronic Absenteeism19%

Students at Bethel Elementary score 86% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 72%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency91%(2025 SOL)
School
State
74%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency81%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency has held near 86% across the 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
88%
ELA
85%
2010
Math
92%
ELA
91%
2011
Math
70%
ELA
91%
2012
Math
80%
ELA
83%
2013
Math
80%
ELA
81%
2014
Math
85%
ELA
88%
2015
Math
87%
ELA
84%
2016
Math
90%
ELA
85%
2017
ELA
85%
2018
Math
92%
ELA
88%
2019
Math
92%
ELA
88%
2020*
Math
68%
ELA
72%
2021*
Math
68%
ELA
72%
2025
Math
91%
ELA
81%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 85% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 83% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 33 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

66.5%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Bethel Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 4Car-Dependent
  • Bike 26Somewhat Bikeable
  • County Safety: Elevated1,111/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. A newer release may be available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$91,547

Median home value

$297,100

Median rent

$1,199/mo

College educated

28.4%

Homeownership

87.2%

Poverty rate

6.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23061; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Gloucester Montessori SchoolPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–63.4 mi25Compare →
Petsworth ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.0PK–53.6 mi386Compare →
Botetourt ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.3PK–53.9 mi531Compare →
Abingdon ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.7PK–5Not available437Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Gloucester County Public Schools

Schools in district
9
Rank in district
#1 of 8
District spending per student
$14,604NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.6%Census SAIPE · 2024

Bethel Elementary is listed in Gloucester County Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Bethel Elementary

Bethel Elementary is a public elementary school in Gloucester, VA, part of Gloucester County Public Schools, serving approximately 496 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.5 out of 10 and ranks #173 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 85% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 83% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Bethel Elementary

What grades does Bethel Elementary serve?

Bethel Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Bethel Elementary?

Bethel Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 496 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethel Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Bethel Elementary is 13.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Bethel Elementary rank in VA?

Bethel Elementary ranks #173 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Bethel Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Bethel Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.5 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Bethel Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Bethel Elementary has 85% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 83% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Bethel Elementary a charter school?

No, Bethel Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Bethel Elementary a Title I school?

No, Bethel Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Bethel Elementary?

66.5% of students at Bethel Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
496
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
38
Type
regular
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Gloucester County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
19.0%
Area population (ZIP 23061)
23,219
Area average commute
34.1 min
Area median age
45.3
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 23061; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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