Best Elementary Schools in Check, VA

In the city of Check, Virginia, there is just one elementary school serving the area: Check Elementary, a PK–7 school in Floyd County Public Schools with 277 students and a high-poverty population (81.95% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch). Check Elementary stands out for its remarkable strengths in upper-grade math — 7th grade math proficiency hit 79.31% in 2025–2026, far exceeding the state average of 51.11%, and 5th and 6th grade math also beat district or state averages. The school also improved in 10 of 13 tested subject/grade combinations from the prior year, including a dramatic jump in 4th grade VA Studies from 44% to 67.9%, and its overall SOL proficiency rose to 68.5%, nearly matching the district (69.1%) and state (69.5%) averages despite its high-need demographics.

Academically, Check Elementary shows a clear pattern: students in upper grades, especially math, perform very well, while early elementary skills lag. In 2025–2026, 3rd grade reading proficiency was 54.8% versus the state's 67.6%, and 3rd grade math was 58.1% versus the state's 74.0%. However, the school has made strong year-over-year gains in these areas too, with 3rd grade reading up 10 points and 3rd grade math up 8.1 points. One notable decline was 6th grade reading, which dropped from 78.1% to 62.1%, moving below the state average — possibly a cohort-specific change. The school’s state ranking improved from 821st (1 star) in 2024–2025 to 747th (2 stars) in 2025–2026, and its district is rated 3 stars, ranking in the 56th percentile of Virginia districts.

Despite high poverty, Check Elementary posts better attendance than expected: chronic absenteeism is 12.4%, lower than both the district (15.7%) and state (14.8%), and the student-teacher ratio of 12.5:1 is relatively low, supporting more individualized attention. The school’s per-pupil spending is $8,588. Overall, Check Elementary is a school on the rise — it excels in upper-grade math, has strong attendance, and has shown rapid improvement across most subjects, but its biggest challenge remains early elementary reading and math. With continued momentum, it may climb further in future state rankings, offering a promising environment for families in the Check area.