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Average

#922 of 1,851 schools in VA

Top 50% in state

Falling Branch Elementary

Elementary School · Montgomery County Public Schools · Christiansburg, VA

A Montgomery County Public Schools elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

735 Falling Branch Rd, Christiansburg, VA 24073

  • Math 68% vs VA 74% (2025)
  • Reading 65% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress6.3Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-0.85 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics5.5Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency68% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency65% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg-5.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-10.7 pts
Overall Proficiency67% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)67% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected-0.0 pts
Adjusted Percentile37th
Resources & Environment8.0Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.9:1
District spending per student$14,114
Chronic Absenteeism11.2%

Students at Falling Branch Elementary score 66% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 67%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency68%(2025 SOL)
School
State
74%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency65%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 16 points since 2019, to 67% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
87%
ELA
86%
2010
Math
87%
ELA
82%
2011
Math
62%
ELA
89%
2012
Math
73%
ELA
69%
2013
Math
73%
ELA
73%
2014
Math
80%
ELA
81%
2015
Math
79%
ELA
82%
2016
Math
75%
ELA
79%
2017
ELA
80%
2018
Math
84%
ELA
81%
2019
Math
84%
ELA
81%
2020*
Math
56%
ELA
68%
2021*
Math
56%
ELA
68%
2025
Math
68%
ELA
65%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 73% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 75% (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

87.7%

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 Falling Branch 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 16Car-Dependent
  • Transit 13Minimal Transit
  • Bike 30Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,830/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Christiansburg), 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

$75,103

Median home value

$247,200

Median rent

$1,150/mo

College educated

41.6%

Homeownership

66.2%

Poverty rate

11.7%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 24073; 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
Christiansburg PrimaryEnrollment path unverified6.9PK–22.4 mi389Compare →
Christiansburg ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.33–52.5 mi419Compare →
Gilbert Linkous ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.5PK–5Not available312Compare →
Harding Avenue ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.3K–5Not available282Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Montgomery County Public Schools

Schools in district
21
Rank in district
#13 of 19
District spending per student
$14,114NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.2%Census SAIPE · 2024

Falling Branch Elementary is listed in Montgomery County Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Falling Branch Elementary

Falling Branch Elementary is a public elementary school in Christiansburg, VA, part of Montgomery County Public Schools, serving approximately 569 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 6.4 out of 10 and ranks #922 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 73% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 75% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Falling Branch Elementary

What grades does Falling Branch Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Falling Branch Elementary?

Falling Branch Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 569 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Falling Branch Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Falling Branch Elementary is 12.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Falling Branch Elementary rank in VA?

Falling Branch Elementary ranks #922 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Falling Branch Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Falling Branch Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.4 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 Falling Branch Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Falling Branch Elementary has 73% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 75% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Falling Branch Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Falling Branch Elementary a Title I school?

No, Falling Branch Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

87.7% of students at Falling Branch 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
569
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
44
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Montgomery County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
11.2%
Area population (ZIP 24073)
30,125
Area average commute
18.6 min
Area median age
40.5
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 24073; 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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