Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Staunton City Public Schools

New rankings! Virginia test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings TODAY.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

25^thof 131 Virginia districts▲ 4

Better than 80% of Virginia districts

Elementary 3 Middle 1 High 1Grades PK, KG-12

116 W. Beverley Street
Staunton, VA 24401-4203·(540) 332-3920·All Virginia district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 80.9% of districts

Schools

2,692

Students

Top rankedThomas C. McSwain Elementary222^nd of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

Arthur R. Ware Elementary up 162 spots statewide this year

◉

Smallest classes

Shelburne Middle 11.8 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare Virginia districts →See the top-ranked Virginia schools →

Summary:

Staunton City Public Schools is a small Virginia district serving roughly 2,543 students across five schools — three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school — with a 4-star rating that ranks it 25th out of 131 districts statewide. The district is notable for its high-poverty population, as every school reports a free/reduced lunch rate between 83% and 85%, yet it still performs in the 81st percentile. The elementary schools are the engine of this success, averaging about 80.6% proficiency across tested subjects in 2025–2026, compared with roughly 71.7% statewide.

Thomas C. McSwain Elementary is the district's clear academic leader. It is the only school with a consistent 4-star rating and ranks in the 80th percentile, posting 2025–2026 5th grade math proficiency of 88.37% and 5th grade science proficiency of 84.71%, both well above state averages. McSwain also has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 7.4%. Arthur R. Ware Elementary is the most improved school, rebounding from the 55th percentile to the 70th percentile with a 4-star rating and proficiency above state averages in every tested subject in 2025–2026. Bessie Weller Elementary has improved steadily from the 53rd to the 61st percentile. Staunton High shines in advanced math, with 100% proficiency in Geometry and Algebra II, and a 92.7% graduation rate, though World History II proficiency fell to just 23.81% in 2025–2026.

Shelburne Middle is the district's biggest concern, ranking in the 52nd percentile with a 19.0% chronic absenteeism rate — the highest in the district and well above the state average of 14.8%. While advanced math students post 100% proficiency, on-grade-level math proficiency ranges from 56% to 66%. McSwain is also the district's efficiency leader, spending just $9,745 per student, about $1,855 less than Ware's $11,600, while producing the strongest outcomes. For parents, Staunton offers excellent elementary options and strong high school math, but the secondary attendance dip and uneven social studies results are worth watching.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Writing (2026)	SOL Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Algebra II (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Biology (2026)		SOL Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)							SOL World History I (2026)	SOL World History II (2026)	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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bessie Weller Elementary	Public	K-5	600 Greenville Ave	Staunton	24401	Staunton city	Staunton City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 332-3940	373	31	12.0	83.1%	203 (54.4%)	55 (14.7%)	44 (11.8%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	62 (16.6%)	63.9	428^th of 1111 public elementary schools	61.5%		60.4	470^th of 1110 public elementary schools	57.7%	42							82.1	75.6	81.4						83.1		80.4	69.2	74.6							$10,913	$1,579	$9,334
Staunton High	Public	9-12	1301 N Coalter St	Staunton	24401	Staunton city	Staunton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 332-3926	766	58	13.2	85.0%	462 (60.3%)	111 (14.5%)	76 (9.9%)	11 (1.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	102 (13.3%)	62	132^nd of 331 public high schools	60.1%		68	104^th of 328 public high schools	68.3%	28	87.7		100.0		83.8	100.0							95.5	71.2									90.8	70.4	23.8	$10,689	$765	$9,924
Shelburne Middle	Public	6-8	300 Grubert Ave	Staunton	24401	Staunton city	Staunton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 332-3930	583	49	11.8	84.0%	366 (62.8%)	71 (12.2%)	56 (9.6%)	6 (1.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (13.9%)	55.4	199^th of 416 public middle schools	52.2%		49.5	227^th of 419 public middle schools	45.8%	28		100.0		100.0						65.7	56.0	56.6				67.7				73.0	72.3	75.6				$10,775	$1,164	$9,611
Thomas C. McSwain Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 N Coalter St	Staunton	24401	Staunton city	Staunton City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 332-3936	449	31	14.4	84.9%	316 (70.4%)	50 (11.1%)	34 (7.6%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.0%)	78.4	222^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	80.0%		84.1	143^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	87.1%	79							81.5	87.0	88.4						84.7		73.9	83.7	84.9							$9,745	$850	$8,895
Arthur R. Ware Elementary	Public	K-5	330 Grubert Avenue	Staunton	24401	Staunton city	Staunton City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 332-3938	372	31	12.0	83.3%	216 (58.1%)	40 (10.8%)	44 (11.8%)	4 (1.1%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	62 (16.7%)	71.3	333^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	70.0%		58.7	495^th of 1110 public elementary schools	55.4%	162							86.8	83.7	83.6						80.0		72.1	75.5	80.0							$11,600	$1,209	$10,391
Staunton City School PreSchool Programs	Public	PK	1751 Shutterlee Mill Road	Staunton	24401	Staunton city	Staunton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 332-3934	149	8	18.6	87.9%	78 (52.3%)	33 (22.1%)	17 (11.4%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (12.8%)								(n/a)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools
Virginia Department of Corrections	0.5 mi	62
Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind-Staunton	0.97 mi	1
Department of Education State-Operated Educ Prgms	1.05 mi	23
Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents	2.07 mi	1
Western State Hospital	2.47 mi	1

See the top VA Virginia districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department 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.