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Hartwood Elementary

Public Grades K-5
345th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools
Better than 69% of Virginia elementary schools
Summary

Hartwood Elementary is a public elementary school located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 610 students. It is part of the Stafford County Public Schools district, which is ranked 68 out of 129 school districts in Virginia and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hartwood Elementary consistently performs above the Stafford County and Virginia state averages in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Hartwood Elementary's 3rd grade math proficiency rate was 76.85%, compared to 70.07% for Stafford County and 72.89% for Virginia. The school also outperforms the district and state in 4th and 5th grade math, as well as in reading and science assessments. Hartwood's performance is particularly strong among certain student subgroups, such as African American and Hispanic students, who rank in the top quartile of Virginia elementary schools in their respective categories.

However, Hartwood Elementary has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 7.0% in 2023-2024 to 19.3% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. Compared to the other elementary schools in the Stafford County district, Hartwood Elementary generally performs at a higher level academically, particularly in math and reading proficiency. Nearby schools, such as Margaret Brent Elementary, also demonstrate strong academic performance, suggesting there may be opportunities for collaboration and sharing of best practices.

627
Students ?
14.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$10,068
Per pupil spending ?
30%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 14 Shackleford Well Rd
       Fredericksburg, VA  22406

(540) 752-4441

District: Stafford County Public Schools


Students who attend Hartwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    T. Benton Gayle Middle
High:    Mountain View High
Racial breakdown:

White:
56.8%
Hispanic:
17.4%
African American:
15.3%
more
 See top rated Virginia elementary schools

 Compare Hartwood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 62nd percentile in 2015 → 69th in 2025
Strengths
Test scores above the Virginia average (80% vs 71% meeting standards)
Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2015
Among the top-ranked schools in Stafford County Public Schools
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school80%
District avg68%
Virginia avg71%
345th of 1,110
Virginia public elementary schools ?
Top 31%▲ up 7 pts since 2015
From top 38% (2015) to top 31% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
2nd of 17Elementary Schools in the Stafford County Public Schools
68th of 129Stafford County Public Schools among Virginia districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202570.8345 of 111068.9%★★★☆☆
202474.0296 of 111473.4%★★★★☆
202358.0507 of 111454.5%★★★☆☆
202256.5520 of 110953.1%★★★☆☆
202159.9472 of 110357.2%★★★☆☆
201948.0662 of 110540.1%★★☆☆☆
201853.2580 of 109747.1%★★☆☆☆
201764.2396 of 109964.0%★★★☆☆
201652.9577 of 109647.4%★★☆☆☆
201563.3415 of 110062.3%★★★☆☆
201457.3488 of 111056.0%★★★☆☆
201371.9274 of 112075.5%★★★★☆
201270.1281 of 111774.8%★★★★☆
201143.8735 of 111734.2%★★☆☆☆
201059.6455 of 111359.1%★★★☆☆
200937.3826 of 108223.7%★☆☆☆☆
200843.6724 of 108133.0%★★☆☆☆
200742.7714 of 108334.1%★★☆☆☆
200658.2462 of 107156.9%★★★☆☆
200547.5624 of 106241.2%★★☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202588.031 of 57994.6%★★★★★
202469.1166 of 58871.8%★★★★☆
202350.9321 of 57944.6%★★☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202451.7214 of 35539.7%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202571.7308 of 109671.9%★★★★☆
202473.0291 of 109873.5%★★★★☆
202359.6464 of 110057.8%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202571.4154 of 60674.6%★★★★☆
202475.8112 of 58080.7%★★★★☆
202363.7203 of 56464.0%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202562.1375 of 104664.1%★★★☆☆
202469.7264 of 103674.5%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202566.7372 of 109366.0%★★★☆☆
202471.1312 of 110171.7%★★★★☆
202353.1549 of 109349.8%★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202563.769 of 19264.1%★★★☆☆
202448.5128 of 19534.4%★★☆☆☆
202363.070 of 18261.5%★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202344.4150 of 24538.8%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202553.5505 of 97348.1%★★☆☆☆
202464.6358 of 97963.4%★★★☆☆
202342.9628 of 98436.2%★★☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
African American (2025)95th percentile+26 vs school
Hispanic (2025)75th percentile+6 vs school
Female (2025)72nd percentile+3 vs school
Male (2025)66th percentile-3 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile-5 vs school
Military Connected (2025)64th percentile-5 vs school
White (2025)48th percentile-21 vs school
Disabled (2024)40th percentile-34 vs school
Multi-racial (2023)39th percentile-16 vs school
By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?
VA Studies83%+15 vs state
English Reading81%+10 vs state
Mathematics80%+8 vs state
Science71%~ state avg

1.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, September 6, 2012

Open Quote Horrible experience for new student / family to Hartwood community. Irresponsible teaching standards. One star is a stretch.
I feel certain my Kindergartener was mistreated by his teachers from day one. Who, WHO sends 5 year old to the Principal’s Office on day two of school for being hyper? Kids are excited and of focus. A 5 year old! We've withdrawn our student from this school.
Things to expect:
- Very unprofessional office staff. Talk about students in front of strangers; dress for shopping at Wal-mart (flipflops, tank tops, capris); complain about helping parents and students. Very rude on phone and in person.
- School Principal - very young. Little actual educator experience. No patients with young students. Talks down to parents “in his experience...”
- Poor parent / teacher communication. Relies on twice a year conference (you set up) and a "take home communicator. We received no info prior to our withdrawal that here was a problem. Teacher told us after the fact that “I had concerns about..." Well don't keep it a secret! I can't intervene if I don’t know, and a 5 year old can't be expected to explain what is happening at school. What is a Principal to a kid who has had two days of school????
- Poor communications in general. New parents are treated just like parents whose children have been attending this educational prison for years. For example, pick up and drop off of your child was not explained until day three. Two days of anguish over the care of our 5 year old.
- You supply the school and kids. Expected to provide a year's worth of school supplies, volunteer for all functions and run the school for the staff. Well I have a day job too.
- Transportation is decent - until the bus broke down on day three and left students stranded. A back up came along in about 30 minutes and missed the remaining kids on the route. Way to go - leave a kid standing on the corner in the rain - no call or explanation.
Just a horrible, unprofessional experience. Save your money and go private or move away. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, September 6, 2012

Open Quote Horrible experience for new student / family to Hartwood community. Irresponsible teaching standards. One star is a stretch.
I feel certain my Kindergartener was mistreated by his teachers from day one. Who, WHO sends 5 year old to the Principal’s Office on day two of school for being hyper? Kids are excited and of focus. A 5 year old! We've withdrawn our student from this school.
Things to expect:
- Very unprofessional office staff. Talk about students in front of strangers; dress for shopping at Wal-mart (flipflops, tank tops, capris); complain about helping parents and students. Very rude on phone and in person.
- School Principal - very young. Little actual educator experience. No patients with young students. Talks down to parents “in his experience...”
- Poor parent / teacher communication. Relies on twice a year conference (you set up) and a "take home communicator. We received no info prior to our withdrawal that here was a problem. Teacher told us after the fact that “I had concerns about..." Well don't keep it a secret! I can't intervene if I don’t know, and a 5 year old can't be expected to explain what is happening at school. What is a Principal to a kid who has had two days of school????
- Poor communications in general. New parents are treated just like parents whose children have been attending this educational prison for years. For example, pick up and drop off of your child was not explained until day three. Two days of anguish over the care of our 5 year old.
- You supply the school and kids. Expected to provide a year's worth of school supplies, volunteer for all functions and run the school for the staff. Well I have a day job too.
- Transportation is decent - until the bus broke down on day three and left students stranded. A back up came along in about 30 minutes and missed the remaining kids on the route. Way to go - leave a kid standing on the corner in the rain - no call or explanation.
Just a horrible, unprofessional experience. Save your money and go private or move away. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Hartwood Elementary

Hartwood Elementary ranks 345th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Hartwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : T. Benton Gayle Middle
High : Mountain View High

In the 2024-25 school year, 627 students attended Hartwood Elementary.

Students at Hartwood Elementary are 57% White, 17% Hispanic, 15% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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