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Needs Improvement

#1785 of 1,851 schools in VA

Cool Spring Elementary

Elementary School · Petersburg City Public Schools · Petersburg, VA

A Petersburg City Public Schools elementary school where students score 27 points below what's typical for similar communities.

1450 Talley Avenue, Petersburg, VA 23803

  • Math 34% vs VA 74% (2025)
  • Reading 36% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.9Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data13
Annual Change-1.87 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics1.4Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency34% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency36% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg-39.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-39.7 pts
Overall Proficiency35% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)62% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected-27.1 pts
Adjusted Percentile1th
Resources & Environment4.4Below Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio14.3:1
District spending per student$16,474
Chronic Absenteeism32.7%

Students at Cool Spring Elementary score 35% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 62%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency34%(2025 SOL)
School
State
74%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency36%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 13 points since 2019, to 35% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 13 years
2009
Math
67%
ELA
60%
2010
Math
64%
ELA
63%
2011
Math
39%
ELA
70%
2012
Math
32%
ELA
39%
2013
Math
54%
ELA
51%
2014
Math
82%
ELA
76%
2015
Math
89%
ELA
86%
2017
ELA
52%
2018
Math
50%
ELA
47%
2019
Math
50%
ELA
47%
2020*
Math
17%
ELA
32%
2021*
Math
17%
ELA
32%
2025
Math
34%
ELA
36%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 47% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 50% (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 31 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

104.3%

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 Cool Spring 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 28Car-Dependent
  • Bike 22Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,948/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Petersburg), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

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

Median income

$55,820

Median home value

$208,700

Median rent

$1,132/mo

College educated

23.6%

Homeownership

50.7%

Poverty rate

19.7%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23803; 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
Pleasants Lane ElementaryEnrollment path unverified2.1K–51.0 mi515Compare →
Walnut Hill ElementaryEnrollment path unverified4.4K–51.6 mi539Compare →
Ettrick ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.3PK–52.3 mi514Compare →
Lakemont ElementaryEnrollment path unverified2.3K–53.2 mi404Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Petersburg City Public Schools

Schools in district
7
Rank in district
#4 of 7
District spending per student
$16,474NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
34.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Cool Spring Elementary is listed in Petersburg City Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Cool Spring Elementary

Cool Spring Elementary is a public elementary school in Petersburg, VA, part of Petersburg City Public Schools, serving approximately 529 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 2.8 out of 10 and ranks #1,785 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 47% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 50% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Cool Spring Elementary

What grades does Cool Spring Elementary serve?

Cool Spring Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Cool Spring Elementary?

Cool Spring Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 529 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cool Spring Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Cool Spring Elementary is 14.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cool Spring Elementary rank in VA?

Cool Spring Elementary ranks #1,785 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Cool Spring Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Cool Spring Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 2.8 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 Cool Spring Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cool Spring Elementary has 47% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 50% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Cool Spring Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Cool Spring Elementary a Title I school?

No, Cool Spring Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

104.3% of students at Cool Spring 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
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
529
Student-Teacher Ratio
14.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
37
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Petersburg city
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
32.7%
Area population (ZIP 23803)
41,794
Area average commute
27.1 min
Area median age
35.8
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 23803; 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

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