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Test scores delayed: 2025-2026 science scores will be released by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education in October, at which point rankings will be updated.

LaSalle-Backus Elementary School

Q: Is LaSalle-Backus Elementary School a good school?

LaSalle-Backus Elementary School ranks 52 nd of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend LaSalle-Backus Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 279 students attended LaSalle-Backus Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of LaSalle-Backus Elementary School?

Students at LaSalle-Backus Elementary School are 51% African American, 43% Hispanic, 4% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

52^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 58% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

LaSalle-Backus Elementary School is a traditional public school in the District of Columbia Public Schools system, serving 279 students in grades PK through 5 at 501 Riggs Rd. NE in Washington, DC, surrounded by a dense cluster of charter schools and other elementary options. The school holds a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger, ranking 52nd out of 124 DC elementary schools in 2025–2026 — squarely in the middle of the citywide pack. That reflects real progress from a decade ago, when the school consistently rated just 1 star and ranked in the bottom quartile. LaSalle-Backus has maintained 3-star status for five consecutive years, though performance has plateaued somewhat after peaking at the 69th percentile in 2022–2023.

Where LaSalle-Backus really stands out is in its resources. It spends approximately $39,295 per student — the highest of any school in its immediate neighborhood — and keeps its student-teacher ratio at 7.9, among the lowest around. Whittier Elementary, its closest DCPS counterpart, spends about $28,473 per student, and Sela PCS spends about $28,298. The school also shows genuine strengths in serving specific student groups: it ranks 5th out of 96 DC elementary schools for African American students and 14th out of 80 for low-income students, and its English language learners ranked 1st in the city in 2021–2022.

But overall academic results remain uneven. Proficiency rates sit at 32.9% in English language arts (below the district's 44.1%) and 31.8% in math (about matching the state average). Grade-level data reveal large internal gaps: 3rd-grade math proficiency is just 17.2%, yet 4th-grade math reaches 50% — above the district average. Hispanic students also saw a sharp decline, dropping to last among 22 DC elementary schools after ranking in the 75th percentile the year before. The contrast with Whittier is hard to ignore: it posts 69.3% ELA and 72.9% math proficiency while spending far less per student. For families, LaSalle-Backus offers small classes, heavy per-student investment, and notable success with particular student populations — but those advantages haven't yet translated into consistent results across every grade and subject.

279

Students ?

7.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$39,027

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

501 Riggs Rd. NE
Washington, DC 20011

(202) 671-6340

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend LaSalle-Backus Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ida B. Wells Middle School
High:	Coolidge High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.9%

Hispanic:

42.7%

White:

4.3%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare LaSalle-Backus Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 69th percentile in 2023 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the District Of Columbia median (58th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 69th-percentile peak (2023) to 58th (2026)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg39%

District Of Columbia avg34%

52^nd of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 33 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

34^th of 74Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

19^th of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	52 of 124	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.2	49 of 128	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.5	63 of 126	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.6	40 of 128	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.6	36 of 97	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.6	69 of 122	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	73 of 120	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	26.9	74 of 108	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	27.7	74 of 99	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.6	74 of 97	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.0	96 of 109	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	12.3	110 of 112	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	22.3	94 of 111	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.4	63 of 111	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	93.4	5 of 96	94.8%	★★★★★
2025	58.2	36 of 108	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.4	9 of 60	85.0%	★★★★☆
2022	68.8	7 of 35	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	48.0	51 of 106	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	32.6	69 of 100	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2022	72.1	3 of 27	88.9%	★★★★★
2019	53.4	36 of 91	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.9	45 of 90	50.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2023	60.3	6 of 19	68.4%	★★★★☆
2022	71.9	1 of 21	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	49.4	11 of 25	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.8	14 of 25	44.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	32.1	78 of 117	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.3	79 of 110	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	9.7	22 of 22	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	52.8	8 of 32	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	40.5	17 of 30	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.9	10 of 22	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.0	27 of 30	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.8	17 of 29	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	74.0	14 of 80	82.5%	★★★★☆
2025	63.7	21 of 92	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	47.2	24 of 55	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.8	7 of 53	86.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	38.4	64 of 113	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.4	66 of 113	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	44.7	36 of 75	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.6	42 of 72	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	28.5	40 of 56	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	26.4	35 of 48	27.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	33.0	29 of 49	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	19.6	49 of 57	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	11.6	53 of 57	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	33.8	38 of 57	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	42.8	31 of 56	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

African American (2026)95th percentile+37 vs school

At Risk (2022)89th percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)82nd percentile+24 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)68th percentile~ school

Male (2019)43rd percentile~ school

Female (2019)33rd percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)<1st percentile-58 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts33%-7 vs state

Mathematics32%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near LaSalle-Backus Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2026)							DC CAPE Mathematics (2026)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2016)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC CAPE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 4th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 5th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 6th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 7th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics 3rd Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 4th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 5th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
LaSalle-Backus Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 Riggs Rd. NE	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6340	279	35	7.9	100.0%	12 (4.3%)	142 (50.9%)	119 (42.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	48.7	52^nd of 124 public elementary schools	58.1%		44.2	49^th of 128 public elementary schools	61.7%	3		46.2	30.0				32.9	17.2	50.0	30.0				31.8	$39,027	$2,449	$36,578
Rocketship PCS - Infinity Community Prep	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5450 3rd Street NE	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Rocketship Education DC PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 627-2256	321	23	13.8		5 (1.6%)	223 (69.5%)	84 (26.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	19.4	96^th of 124 public elementary schools	22.6%		21	105^th of 128 public elementary schools	18.0%	9	8.4	17.5	13.9				13.4	25.0	15.0	2.9				14.2	$41,930	$2,638	$39,292
Sela PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	6015 Chillum Place NE	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Sela PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 670-7352	302	43	7.0	57.5%	78 (25.8%)	170 (56.3%)	37 (12.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.6%)	67.1	33^rd of 124 public elementary schools	73.4%		58.8	35^th of 128 public elementary schools	72.7%	2	63.3	23.8	44.5				46.3	66.7						55.0	$27,035	$1,212	$25,823
DC Bilingual PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	33 Riggs Road NE	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	DC Bilingual PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 750-6674	622	78	7.9	0.0%	200 (32.2%)	122 (19.6%)	261 (42.0%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.3%)	68.7	31^st of 124 public elementary schools	75.0%		69.8	24^th of 128 public elementary schools	81.3%	7	35.2	50.0	61.6				48.2	45.0	42.9	46.7				44.7	$30,431	$1,837	$28,595
Roots PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	15 Kennedy Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Roots PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 882-8073	80	8	10.6	87.7%	0 (0.0%)	80 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	9.1						23.5							17.7	$31,494	$7,618	$23,876
Bridges PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	100 Gallatin Street NE	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Bridges PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 545-0515	365	40	9.2	99.1%	8 (2.2%)	155 (42.5%)	195 (53.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	22.8	91^st of 124 public elementary schools	26.6%		15.1	123^rd of 128 public elementary schools	3.9%	32	6.4	5.4					8.8	38.4	16.3	6.7				22.8	$37,413	$2,947	$34,466
Friendship PCS - Ideal Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	6130 North Capitol Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 518-3928	212	17	12.4		1 (0.5%)	196 (92.5%)	14 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)	19.0							38.0							$36,223	$2,479	$33,744
Creative Minds International PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3700 North Capitol Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Creative Minds International PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 588-0370	530	52	10.1	21.9%	77 (14.5%)	287 (54.2%)	137 (25.8%)	7 (1.3%)	7 (1.3%)	3 (0.6%)	12 (2.3%)	32.4	72^nd of 124 public elementary schools	41.9%		33.3	77^th of 128 public elementary schools	39.8%	5	36.6	34.8	14.7	25.7	34.2	38.3	31.2		15.6	6.1		15.0	12.1	16.2	$36,168	$1,786	$34,382
Capital City PCS - Lower School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	100 Peabody Street NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	Capital City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 808-9800	323	27	12.1	64.5%	18 (5.6%)	61 (18.9%)	232 (71.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	17	109^th of 124 public elementary schools	12.1%		19.3	108^th of 128 public elementary schools	15.6%	1	7.7	16.6					12.0	11.5	12.5					12.0	$36,666	$2,087	$34,578
Whittier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6201 5th St. NW	Washington	20011	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 576-6156	450	45	9.9	100.0%	64 (14.2%)	251 (55.8%)	108 (24.0%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.6%)	92.5	14^th of 124 public elementary schools	88.7%		72	23^rd of 128 public elementary schools	82.0%	9	51.3	83.0	72.9				69.3	77.0	76.2	64.8				72.9	$28,710	$2,421	$26,289

Frequently Asked Questions about LaSalle-Backus Elementary School

How many students attend LaSalle-Backus Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 279 students attended LaSalle-Backus Elementary School.

What district is LaSalle-Backus Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of LaSalle-Backus Elementary School?

Students at LaSalle-Backus Elementary School are 51% African American, 43% Hispanic, 4% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of LaSalle-Backus Elementary School attend?

Students who attend LaSalle-Backus Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ida B. Wells Middle School
High : Coolidge High School

Is LaSalle-Backus Elementary School a good school?

LaSalle-Backus Elementary School ranks 52^nd of 124 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate LaSalle-Backus Elementary School!

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewSep 2, 2026

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent 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.