Best Public Schools in Fairfield, VA

Fairfield, Virginia, is served by a single public elementary school, Fairfield Elementary, which educates students in grades PK–5 as part of Rockbridge County Public Schools. With 241 students and a strong 11:1 student-teacher ratio, this small school stands out as a bright spot in its district. It earned 3 stars and ranked 346th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools (69th percentile) in 2025–2026, a remarkable jump from the 36th percentile just two years earlier. Despite 79.67% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, chronic absenteeism is only 4.4%—far below the district’s 15.1% and the state’s 14.8%—showing that attendance remains a cornerstone of the school’s success.

Academically, Fairfield Elementary excels in mathematics, beating both district and state averages in every grade level tested. In 2025–2026, 4th graders hit 91% proficiency in math, and 5th graders improved by over 21 points from the prior year to reach 81%. Reading is strong in 3rd and 4th grades (83% and 85% proficient respectively), with 4th-grade reading also rising nearly 15 points. The school outperforms its district in 7 of 8 subject-grade combinations, often by wide margins—for example, 3rd-grade reading is 82.61% versus the district’s 58.46%. Per-student spending of $13,163 and small class sizes suggest meaningful investment in student support, which may help explain these gains despite high economic disadvantage.

The main areas of concern are 5th-grade reading and science. Reading proficiency drops to 66.67% in 5th grade, matching the district average but falling below the state’s 72.42%. Science is the only subject where Fairfield trails both comparison groups, with 63.89% proficiency. Since science tests require strong reading comprehension, these two weaknesses may be linked. With only 30–40 students per grade, a single cohort can cause significant score swings, so the impressive upward trend should be viewed with some caution. Still, the overall picture is clear: Fairfield Elementary is a high-poverty, high-attendance school that is beating the odds and improving rapidly in most subjects.