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Excellent

#189 of 1,851 schools in VA

Top 10% in state

Watauga Elementary

Elementary School · Washington County Public Schools · Abingdon, VA

A Washington County Public Schools elementary school where students score 23 points above what's typical for similar communities.

23181 Watauga Rd, Abingdon, VA 24211

  • Math 92% vs VA 74% (2025)
  • Reading 94% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.2Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-0.03 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics9.8Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency92% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency94% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg+18.8 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+18.3 pts
Overall Proficiency93% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)70% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected+22.7 pts
Adjusted Percentile96th
Resources & Environment4.6Below Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.8:1
District spending per student$14,125
Chronic Absenteeism14.3%

Students at Watauga Elementary score 93% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 70%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency92%(2025 SOL)
School
State
74%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency94%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency has held near 93% across the 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
97%
ELA
95%
2010
Math
97%
ELA
95%
2011
Math
78%
ELA
93%
2012
Math
83%
ELA
82%
2013
Math
87%
ELA
87%
2014
Math
96%
ELA
95%
2015
Math
93%
ELA
91%
2016
Math
94%
ELA
94%
2017
ELA
93%
2018
Math
98%
ELA
94%
2019
Math
98%
ELA
94%
2020*
Math
76%
ELA
83%
2021*
Math
76%
ELA
83%
2025
Math
92%
ELA
94%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 90% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 91% (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

73.4%

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 Watauga 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 3Car-Dependent
  • Bike 2Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,709/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$84,559

Median home value

$280,600

Median rent

$985/mo

College educated

37%

Homeownership

83.1%

Poverty rate

6.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 24211; 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
Emmanuel Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition3.9privateK–124.0 mi50Compare →
Abingdon ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.3PK–54.4 mi410Compare →
Cornerstone Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition8.3privateK–124.6 mi199Compare →
Greendale ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.0PK–5Not available285Compare →

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.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Washington County Public Schools

Schools in district
16
Rank in district
#6 of 15
District spending per student
$14,125NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
13.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

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

About Watauga Elementary

Watauga Elementary is a public elementary school in Abingdon, VA, part of Washington County Public Schools, serving approximately 568 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.5 out of 10 and ranks #189 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 90% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 91% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Watauga Elementary

What grades does Watauga Elementary serve?

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

How many students attend Watauga Elementary?

Watauga Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 568 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Watauga Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Watauga Elementary is 15.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Watauga Elementary rank in VA?

Watauga Elementary ranks #189 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Watauga Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Watauga 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 Watauga Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Watauga Elementary has 90% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 91% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Watauga Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Watauga Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

73.4% of students at Watauga 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
568
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
36
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Washington County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.3%
Area population (ZIP 24211)
10,341
Area average commute
24.3 min
Area median age
49.7
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 24211; 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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