Summary:
Sutherland, Virginia is served by a single school in this data set: Sutherland Elementary, a PK–5 elementary school with 548 students, a 14.4 student-teacher ratio, and per-pupil spending of $10,167. It is part of Dinwiddie County Public Schools. Since no middle or high schools are listed for the city, this analysis focuses on Sutherland Elementary and how it compares with its district and the state of Virginia.
The school serves a very high-poverty population, with 94.16% of students receiving free or reduced lunch. Despite this, Sutherland Elementary posts a chronic absenteeism rate of 13.7% — lower than both the state average of 14.8% and the district average of 19.8%. The standout academic result is 3rd grade math, where 74.65% of students are proficient, essentially matching the state average of 74.04%. All other tested subjects lag the state. For example, 4th grade math proficiency is 53.01% versus 73.29% statewide, a gap of more than 20 points. The school has also improved its statewide rank from the 17th percentile (2023–2024) to the 22nd percentile (2025–2026), though it remains in the bottom quarter of Virginia elementary schools, ranked 867th out of 1,111.
Looking at year-to-year trends, there are encouraging signs and some setbacks. Fifth grade math jumped from 46.67% to 59.52% proficiency (+12.85 points), and 5th grade science rose by 7.50 points. However, 4th grade math fell by 6.20 points and 4th grade reading fell by 3.52 points. Across all tested subjects, Sutherland Elementary averages about 61.7% proficiency versus roughly 71.6% statewide, indicating broad academic challenges. The drop from 3rd to 4th grade suggests transition difficulties or accumulated learning gaps in upper elementary. The data also shows the school's educational story is incomplete — without middle or high school data, it is not possible to see how Sutherland students perform beyond 5th grade.
Thank you for your feedback!