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Payne Elementary School

Q: Is Payne Elementary School a good school?

Payne Elementary School ranks 27 th of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

27^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 128 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Payne Elementary School is a public elementary school in Washington, DC, serving 376 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) district, which is ranked 22 out of 46 districts in DC and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Payne Elementary School has consistently ranked in the top 30% of DC elementary schools over the past several years, with a current ranking of 24 out of 128 schools in the 2024-2025 school year. The school's performance on standardized tests, such as the DC CAPE, is generally higher than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Payne Elementary had 47% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 42.5% for DCPS and 37.6% for the state. The school also outperforms the district and state in mathematics, with 45.5% of students proficient or better, compared to 30.8% for DCPS and 26.4% for the state.

Payne Elementary School has consistently high performance among specific student subgroups, such as African American students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In the 2024-2025 school year, Payne Elementary ranked 30th out of 108 DC elementary schools for African American students and 24th out of 92 schools for low socioeconomic status students, both with a 4-star rating. The school's performance for "At Risk" students, a subgroup that includes students who are homeless, in the foster care system, or from low-income families, is also noteworthy, with a ranking of 16th out of 91 DC elementary schools in the 2018-2019 school year. Additionally, Payne Elementary School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.8 to 13.9 students per teacher over the past few years, which is lower than the district average.

398

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,338

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1445 C St. SE
Washington, DC 20003

(202) 698-3262

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Payne Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Eliot-Hine Middle School
High:	Eastern High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.5%

White:

35.9%

Two or more races:

6.0%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Payne Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 26th percentile in 2014 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the District Of Columbia average (42% vs 31% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 53 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg36%

District Of Columbia avg31%

27^th of 128

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 39 pts since 2015

From bottom 40% (2015) to top 21% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st of 76Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

23^rd 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	27 of 128	78.9%	★★★★☆
2024	78.3	21 of 126	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	77.1	23 of 128	82.0%	★★★★☆
2022	61.3	27 of 97	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	48.8	56 of 122	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.0	81 of 120	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.2	67 of 108	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	29.1	69 of 99	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.7	58 of 97	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	27.1	81 of 109	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	51.4	48 of 112	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	34.8	74 of 111	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.1	70 of 111	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	60.9	30 of 108	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	15 of 63	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	12 of 60	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	55.4	12 of 35	65.7%	★★★★☆
2019	59.3	39 of 106	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.0	64 of 100	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	71.5	16 of 91	82.4%	★★★★☆
2018	40.7	52 of 90	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	43.3	63 of 117	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.0	80 of 110	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	62.1	24 of 92	73.9%	★★★★☆
2024	63.7	13 of 55	76.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	52.9	45 of 113	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.9	76 of 113	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

At Risk (2019)82nd percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)74th percentile-5 vs school

African American (2025)72nd percentile-7 vs school

Male (2019)60th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2019)46th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts47%+9 vs state

Mathematics46%+19 vs state

Science20%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Payne Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				DC Science Science (2025)	DC CAPE English Language Arts (2025)							DC CAPE Mathematics (2025)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC Science Science 5th Grade	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 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
Payne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1445 C St. SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-3262	398	33	12.0		143 (35.9%)	205 (51.5%)	23 (5.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.0%)	68.5	27^th of 128 public elementary schools	78.9%		78.3	21^st of 126 public elementary schools	83.3%	6	20.0	38.1	57.1	45.8				47.0	52.4	50.0	35.4			45.5	$26,338	$4,363	$21,975
Watkins Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster)	Public	1-5	420 12th St. SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 698-3355	415	30	13.8		94 (22.7%)	273 (65.8%)	22 (5.3%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.9%)	61.2	33^rd of 128 public elementary schools	74.2%		65.2	30^th of 126 public elementary schools	76.2%	3	25.0	33.0	39.6	40.0				37.3	40.9	52.2	31.3			42.4	$22,162	$4,326	$17,836
Center City PCS - Capitol Hill	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1503 East Capitol Street SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	Center City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 547-7556	257	25	10.2		0 (0.0%)	231 (89.9%)	7 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.0%)	22	101^st of 128 public elementary schools	21.1%		29.7	85^th of 126 public elementary schools	32.5%	16		8.7	28.6	8.0	14.8	24.0	12.5	15.9	9.1	28.6		21.7	20.8	13.5	$28,984	$4,846	$24,138
Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	1345 Potomac Avenue SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 547-5800	256	26	9.7		1 (0.4%)	246 (96.1%)	9 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		55.1						55.1	44.9					44.9	$32,715	$4,887	$27,828
Shirley Chisholm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 G St. SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-4810	542	46	11.7		122 (22.5%)	298 (55.0%)	86 (15.9%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.4%)	68.1	28^th of 128 public elementary schools	78.1%		60.3	35^th of 126 public elementary schools	72.2%	7	17.5	54.3	48.4	48.3				50.5	45.7	41.3	36.2			41.4	$23,960	$4,186	$19,774
Maury Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1250 Constitution Ave. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 698-3838	559	38	14.7		332 (59.4%)	113 (20.2%)	51 (9.1%)	18 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.9%)	92.3	15^th of 128 public elementary schools	88.3%		95.7	11^th of 126 public elementary schools	91.3%	4	30.0	64.8	87.5	58.1				73.3	78.9	68.2	55.8			69.3	$20,859	$3,899	$16,960
Miner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 15th St. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 397-3960	433	39	11.2		58 (13.4%)	345 (79.7%)	20 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	12.9	126^th of 128 public elementary schools	1.6%		18.9	121^st of 126 public elementary schools	4.0%	5	6.1			6.1				3.3	5.5		8.2			5.4	$40,196	$5,040	$35,156
Brent Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 North Carolina Ave. SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 698-3363	421	33	12.9		280 (66.5%)	48 (11.4%)	37 (8.8%)	15 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.5%)	97.7	5^th of 128 public elementary schools	96.1%		96.3	10^th of 126 public elementary schools	92.1%	5	53.9	73.6	85.5	61.5				76.1	79.2	87.0	80.8			82.7	$23,091	$3,856	$19,235
Van Ness Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1150 5th St SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 727-4314	404	31	13.0		71 (17.6%)	274 (67.8%)	21 (5.2%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.7%)	34.1	75^th of 128 public elementary schools	41.4%		38.1	66^th of 126 public elementary schools	47.6%	9	19.2	31.6	24.4	24.5				27.1	24.6	15.2	16.3			19.1	$22,839	$4,977	$17,863
Peabody Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster)	Public	PK-K	425 C St. NE	Washington	20002	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-3277	209	17	12.6		125 (59.8%)	56 (26.8%)	13 (6.2%)	6 (2.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)								(n/a)															$23,701	$4,145	$19,556

Frequently Asked Questions about Payne Elementary School

What district is Payne Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

Is Payne Elementary School a good school?

Payne Elementary School ranks 27^th of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Payne Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Payne Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Eliot-Hine Middle School
High : Eastern High School

How many students attend Payne Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 398 students attended Payne Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Payne Elementary School?

Students at Payne Elementary School are 52% African American, 36% White, 6% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

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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.