Virginia-Highland Elementary School

Virginia-Highland Elementary School in Atlanta, GA, is a top-rated public school in the Atlanta Public Schools district, serving 649 students in Pre-K through 5th grade and earning a 5-star rating with a 97th-percentile statewide ranking.

This school delivers exceptional academic results that far exceed both district and state averages. In the most recent testing cycle, math proficiency ranged from 80.2% in 4th grade to 84.5% in 5th grade, while 5th grade science reached 83.2%—all roughly 30 to 45 percentage points above typical scores. These strong results have been consistent and improving over the past three years. The school also stands out for its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 8.7%, which is less than a third of the district rate (27.6%) and about half the state average. With a student-teacher ratio of 14.1:1, children receive meaningful individual attention. Notably, the school achieves these outcomes while spending less per student ($22,466) than several lower-performing schools in the same district—for example, The John Hope-Charles Walter Hill Elementary Schools spends about 30% more per student yet sees proficiency rates roughly 50–60 points lower.

Virginia-Highland is part of an extraordinary cluster of elite elementary schools in northeast Atlanta. Within 1.5 miles, Springdale Park Elementary School, Mary Lin Elementary School, and Morningside Elementary School all rank in the 97th percentile or higher statewide, reflecting a highly engaged, education-focused community. The school also outperforms strong nearby schools in other districts, such as Fernbank Elementary School in DeKalb County, which posts impressive math scores of 60–76% but still trails Virginia-Highland by 7–20 points. For parents seeking a stable, high-performing environment with strong family engagement and continuous improvement, Virginia-Highland is an outstanding choice.