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Needs Improvement

#1666 of 1,851 schools in VA

Spotswood Elementary

Elementary School · Harrisonburg City Public Schools · Harrisonburg, VA

A Harrisonburg City Public Schools elementary school where students score 14 points below what's typical for similar communities.

400 Mountain View Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

  • Math 58% vs VA 74% (2025)
  • Reading 51% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.8Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-1.92 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics3.0Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency58% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency51% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg-15.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-24.7 pts
Overall Proficiency55% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)68% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected-13.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile12th
Resources & Environment7.1Very Good20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio14.5:1
District spending per student$15,787
Chronic Absenteeism13.4%

Students at Spotswood Elementary score 54% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 68%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency58%(2025 SOL)
School
State
74%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency51%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 5 points since 2019, reaching 55% in 2025.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
87%
ELA
87%
2010
Math
72%
ELA
67%
2011
Math
37%
ELA
77%
2012
Math
37%
ELA
52%
2013
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2014
Math
57%
ELA
62%
2015
Math
52%
ELA
57%
2016
Math
62%
ELA
57%
2017
ELA
47%
2018
Math
57%
ELA
42%
2019
Math
57%
ELA
42%
2020*
Math
15%
ELA
25%
2021*
Math
15%
ELA
25%
2025
Math
58%
ELA
51%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 52% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 53% (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

81%

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 Spotswood 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 73Very Walkable
  • Transit 45Some Transit
  • Bike 48Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,966/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$70,779

Median home value

$340,600

Median rent

$1,235/mo

College educated

42.5%

Homeownership

45%

Poverty rate

25%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 22801; 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

3 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Waterman ElementaryEnrollment path unverified2.7PK–51.2 mi559Compare →
Keister ElementaryEnrollment path unverified3.5PK–51.3 mi496Compare →
Smithland ElementaryEnrollment path unverified3.4PK–51.3 mi727Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Schools in district
10
Rank in district
#5 of 9
District spending per student
$15,787NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
21.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

Spotswood Elementary is listed in Harrisonburg City Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Spotswood Elementary

Spotswood Elementary is a public elementary school in Harrisonburg, VA, part of Harrisonburg City Public Schools, serving approximately 463 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.7 out of 10 and ranks #1,666 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 52% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 53% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Spotswood Elementary

What grades does Spotswood Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Spotswood Elementary?

Spotswood Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 463 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Spotswood Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Spotswood Elementary is 14.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Spotswood Elementary rank in VA?

Spotswood Elementary ranks #1,666 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Spotswood Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Spotswood Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.7 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 Spotswood Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Spotswood Elementary has 52% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 53% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Spotswood Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Spotswood Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

81.0% of students at Spotswood 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
463
Student-Teacher Ratio
14.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
32
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Harrisonburg city
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
13.4%
Area population (ZIP 22801)
39,870
Area average commute
17.7 min
Area median age
27.8
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 22801; 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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