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Leslie H. Walton Middle

Q: Is Leslie H. Walton Middle a good school?

Leslie H. Walton Middle ranks 270 th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

270^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 35% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Leslie H. Walton Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Charlottesville, VA, serving 339 students within Albemarle County Public Schools, a district that ranks 43rd out of 131 in Virginia. The school's overall state ranking has declined from the 57th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 35th percentile in 2025-2026, settling it into the lower-middle range of Virginia middle schools. Walton spends more per student than nearby schools — $18,712 in 2023-2024, about 62% more than Joseph T. Henley Middle and 88% more than Fluvanna Middle — and has a low student-teacher ratio of 10.2, yet these resources haven't produced consistently above-average results.

Walton's most distinctive pattern is in math. Students in accelerated courses perform exceptionally well: 100% proficiency in 8th-grade Geometry and 7th-grade Algebra I, and 95.24% in 8th-grade Algebra I. But students in grade-level math lag far behind state averages, with only 33.8% proficient in 7th-grade math and 34.55% in 8th-grade math, compared to state averages of 51.11% and 46.86%. By contrast, 8th-grade reading has been a consistent bright spot, matching or exceeding the state average in recent years (75.22% proficient in 2025-2026 vs. 73.51% statewide).

The most pressing concerns involve the school's changing demographics and attendance. Free/reduced-price lunch eligibility jumped from roughly 39% to nearly 57% in a single year, and the school's low-socioeconomic-status students ranked in the 5th percentile statewide in 2025-2026, down from the 26th percentile the year before. Chronic absenteeism rose to 17.2% in 2024-2025, well above the district average of 11.8% and the state average of 14.8%, and notably higher than nearby Lakeside Middle (13.2%) and Joseph T. Henley Middle (9.9%). Addressing grade-level math proficiency and attendance while continuing to support advanced learners would likely be the most impactful levers for improving Walton's standing.

339

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,684

Per pupil spending ?

56.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4217 Red Hill Rd
Charlottesville, VA 22903

(434) 977-5615

District: Albemarle County Public Schools

Students who attend Leslie H. Walton Middle usually attend:

High:

Monticello High

Feeder schools for Leslie H. Walton Middle:

Elementary:	Mountain View Elementary
	Red Hill Elementary
	Scottsville Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.2%

Hispanic:

13.0%

African American:

9.1%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Leslie H. Walton Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 71st percentile in 2021 → 35th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 71st-percentile peak (2021) to 35th (2026)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg75%

Virginia avg69%

270^th of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Bottom 35%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Middle Schools in the Albemarle County Public Schools

43^rd of 131Albemarle County Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	270 of 416	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.5	251 of 419	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.6	247 of 417	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.4	183 of 422	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.5	178 of 415	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.7	120 of 419	71.4%	★★★★☆
2019	45.6	249 of 424	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.2	273 of 413	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.6	262 of 415	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	29.8	319 of 409	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.2	373 of 412	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	29.7	313 of 416	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.3	263 of 416	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.4	283 of 413	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	35.5	312 of 413	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	44.1	251 of 408	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.7	195 of 390	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	42.7	251 of 391	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.0	276 of 387	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	42.8	244 of 383	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	57.8	166 of 340	51.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	50.5	153 of 299	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	30.3	200 of 292	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	74.0	51 of 278	81.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	292 of 409	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.0	309 of 403	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	310 of 407	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.2	198 of 411	51.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	43.4	165 of 283	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	73.8	58 of 279	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	50.7	128 of 275	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	13.3	380 of 401	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	31.9	299 of 403	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.7	303 of 402	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	47.0	236 of 410	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.1	184 of 404	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.9	164 of 407	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.6	158 of 409	61.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	287 of 400	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.9	325 of 400	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.1	340 of 396	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.4	234 of 402	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2024)49th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)42nd percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)42nd percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2026)32nd percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)29th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)28th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry100%+3 vs state

Algebra I98%+3 vs state

Civics and Economics73%~ state avg

English Reading69%-4 vs state

Science65%~ state avg

Mathematics50%-5 vs state

4.0

5 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★3

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Thursday, September 14, 2017

Walton has been on the upswing over the last few years. The kids are awesome, the staff are hard working, and the leadership is strong! GO WILDCATS! Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, August 20, 2017

It's been quite awhile since there was a review, and a lot has changed. There has been some turn over in administration, and the school seems to really be flourishing. The principal, Josh Walton and assistant principal, Sherica Jones-Lewis have really rallied everyone to do their best. The teachers are working hard, scores up, discipline is in check, and the school feeling like a great place to learn. The school won the state and region in the school's next competition last year, regularly places in the global virtual classroom competition, and the list goes on. My child is only in 5th grade, but I can't wait to send him to Walton next year. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Since 2011 when the last comment was made there has been a complete changed of administration to a new and incompetent group of administrators. Wish we had Jim Asher or Robert Johnson back. No pride, falling scores and more crime when there never was much other than petty crime. Check news, data and police reports available on the web. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, August 14, 2011

My son started this school last year and we were nervous for him starting middle school, but the current principal, Mrs Agee and vice principal Mr Asher are excellent. They listen to all your worries and my son loved his teachers. They have a wonderful attitude, wrote for grants for the kids to have their own personal laptops and my son loved his first year. By the way the music is awesome too. Close Quote

Schools Near Leslie H. Walton Middle

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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 Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)			SOL Algebra II (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)				SOL Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)				SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	SOL VA Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 Geometry 7th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 6th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra II 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Leslie H. Walton Middle	Public	6-8	4217 Red Hill Rd	Charlottesville	22903	Albemarle County	Albemarle County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 977-5615	339	33	10.2	56.9%	238 (70.2%)	31 (9.1%)	44 (13.0%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	43.7	270^th of 416 public middle schools	35.1%		44.5	251^st of 419 public middle schools	40.1%	19		100.0		100.0	95.2			66.2	33.8	34.6		64.9		66.2	64.7	75.2	73.2		$18,684	$551	$18,133
Charlottesville Middle	Public	7-8	1000 Cherry Avenue	Charlottesville	22903	Charlottesville city	Charlottesville City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 245-2411	563	69	8.1	74.2%	203 (36.1%)	149 (26.5%)	84 (14.9%)	45 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (14.6%)	37.3	300^th of 416 public middle schools	27.9%		29.3	328^th of 419 public middle schools	21.7%	28	≥ 50%	100.0		100.0	98.8				53.1	43.1		58.6			63.5	62.1	64.7		$14,776	$321	$14,454
Jackson P. Burley Middle	Public	6-8	901 Rose Hill Drive	Charlottesville	22903	Charlottesville city	Albemarle County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 295-5101	534	43	12.3	63.1%	211 (39.5%)	106 (19.9%)	132 (24.7%)	29 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.5%)	39.8	287^th of 416 public middle schools	31.0%		41.2	271^st of 419 public middle schools	35.3%	16	≥ 50%	95.8		100.0	89.5			61.9	45.6	35.7		61.5		69.5	71.1	69.4	62.4		$14,827	$424	$14,403
Walker Upper Elementary	Public	5-6	1564 Dairy Road	Charlottesville	22903	Charlottesville city	Charlottesville City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 245-2412	570	63	8.9	79.1%	230 (40.4%)	143 (25.1%)	74 (13.0%)	40 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (14.6%)								(n/a)							59.8	66.0			53.8		59.7	65.5				72.5
Journey Middle	Public	6-8	210 Lambs Lane	Charlottesville	22901	Albemarle County	Albemarle County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 975-9320	646	52	12.5	76.5%	214 (33.1%)	152 (23.5%)	195 (30.2%)	40 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.0%)	24.1	352^nd of 416 public middle schools	15.4%		21	366^th of 419 public middle schools	12.6%	14		100.0		100.0	84.1	≥ 50%		54.4	54.7	35.1		55.3		51.6	58.1	51.8	61.2		$14,406	$219	$14,187
Joseph T. Henley Middle	Public	6-8	5880 Rockfish Gap Turnpike	Crozet	22932	Albemarle County	Albemarle County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 823-4393	847	57	14.8	13.5%	679 (80.2%)	21 (2.5%)	64 (7.6%)	33 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (5.8%)	81.5	37^th of 416 public middle schools	91.1%		81.5	38^th of 419 public middle schools	90.9%	1		99.0	≥ 50%	97.4	93.6			90.7	67.6	48.5		87.7		90.0	87.2	90.6	89.2		$11,908	$237	$11,671
Lakeside Middle	Public	6-8	2801 Powell Creek Drive	Charlottesville	22911	Albemarle County	Albemarle County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 975-0599	574	39	14.7	27.0%	309 (53.8%)	62 (10.8%)	68 (11.8%)	88 (15.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.0%)	79.8	48^th of 416 public middle schools	88.5%		74.7	89^th of 419 public middle schools	78.8%	41		100.0		98.1	98.7	≥ 50%		94.5	75.9	60.0		81.4		87.6	88.1	83.6	80.0		$12,827	$175	$12,652
Fluvanna Middle	Public	5-7	3717 Central Plains Road	Palmyra	22963	Fluvanna County	Fluvanna County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 510-1000	745	57	13.0	60.9%	477 (64.0%)	98 (13.2%)	84 (11.3%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (10.6%)	58	182^nd of 416 public middle schools	56.3%		53.3	211^th of 419 public middle schools	49.6%	29			≥ 50%	100.0			76.1	71.8	69.8		75.3		61.5	73.1	70.8				$10,078	$207	$9,871

Frequently Asked Questions about Leslie H. Walton Middle

Is Leslie H. Walton Middle a good school?

Leslie H. Walton Middle ranks 270^th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Leslie H. Walton Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 339 students attended Leslie H. Walton Middle.

What high school do graduates of Leslie H. Walton Middle attend?

Students who attend Leslie H. Walton Middle usually go on to attend Monticello High

What is the racial makeup of Leslie H. Walton Middle?

Students at Leslie H. Walton Middle are 70% White, 13% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Leslie H. Walton Middle in?

Albemarle County Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2023–24 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 12, 2026

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

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.