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William Ramsay Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1029^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

William Ramsay Elementary is a PK–5 school in Alexandria, Virginia, serving 689 students as part of Alexandria City Public Schools. On Virginia's 2025–2026 state rankings, Ramsay places at the 7th percentile — 1029th out of 1,111 elementary schools statewide — a position it has remained near for the past decade. It is also the lowest-ranked among its nearby Alexandria peers: Ferdinand T. Day Elementary sits at the 14th percentile, John Adams Elementary at the 19th, and James K. Polk Elementary at the 26th. Proficiency gaps appear early: 3rd grade reading stands at 32.7 percent proficient versus 55.9 percent across the district and 67.6 percent statewide.

Ramsay receives significant resources, spending $15,311 per student in 2023–2024 — one of the highest figures among comparable schools — with a student-teacher ratio of 15.3, lower than several nearby schools. The student body is high-poverty: 88.7 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Notably, several very high-poverty schools in neighboring Fairfax County Public Schools, including Glen Forest Elementary and Weyanoke Elementary, also rank at the 7th percentile, suggesting a broader regional pattern among high-poverty schools. Yet there is a notable mismatch: Ramsay spends and staffs at levels comparable to schools with far stronger outcomes, and while math scores show real improvement — 4th grade math proficiency rose from 27.1 percent in 2022–2023 to 60.0 percent in 2025–2026 — reading scores have been flat or declining, with 3rd grade reading falling from 47.4 percent to 32.7 percent over the same period.

Several bright spots offer hope. Chronic absenteeism fell from 54.6 percent in 2020–2021 to 16.8 percent in 2024–2025, close to the state average of 14.8 percent. The 4th grade Virginia Studies score jumped from roughly 34 percent to 57.7 percent in a single year. And one subgroup stands out: African American students at Ramsay rank at the 71st percentile statewide, far above the school's overall rank, with steady gains over the past three years. These pockets of success raise an important question for district leaders: what is working, and how can those approaches be applied more broadly across the school?

689

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,311

Per pupil spending ?

88.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5700 Sanger Ave
Alexandria, VA 22311

(703) 824-6950

District: Alexandria City Public Schools

Students who attend William Ramsay Elementary usually attend:

High:

Alexandria City High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.8%

African American:

19.0%

White:

11.3%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare William Ramsay Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 7th percentile in 2016 → 7th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (48% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!English Reading scores 29 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg63%

Virginia avg72%

1,029^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Alexandria City Public Schools

103^rd of 131Alexandria City 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	9.8	1029 of 1111	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.0	1065 of 1110	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.3	1066 of 1114	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.6	1077 of 1114	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.9	995 of 1109	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	4.1	1072 of 1103	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	1028 of 1105	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.5	1029 of 1097	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.8	1064 of 1099	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	15.8	1014 of 1096	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	19.0	987 of 1100	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	3.0	1101 of 1110	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	14.4	1056 of 1120	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	12.9	1074 of 1117	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	15.0	1071 of 1117	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	20.9	1027 of 1113	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	9.7	1061 of 1082	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	9.1	1060 of 1081	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	15.5	1025 of 1083	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	21.3	971 of 1071	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	27.8	894 of 1062	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	67.0	174 of 591	70.6%	★★★★☆
2025	53.8	288 of 579	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.7	332 of 588	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.3	401 of 579	30.7%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	10.3	219 of 230	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	32.8	231 of 315	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.2	259 of 326	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	254 of 306	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	262 of 300	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	1006 of 1100	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.5	1008 of 1096	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.4	1063 of 1098	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.4	1055 of 1100	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	587 of 619	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.0	555 of 606	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.7	519 of 580	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.4	547 of 564	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	23.9	876 of 1040	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.2	976 of 1046	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.6	951 of 1036	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	13.7	998 of 1099	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.1	1053 of 1093	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.9	1039 of 1101	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.5	1057 of 1093	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2026)71st percentile+63 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)27th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)16th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)9th percentile~ school

Female (2026)9th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)5th percentile~ school

Asian (2023)5th percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies58%-13 vs state

Mathematics51%-22 vs state

Science47%-22 vs state

English Reading43%-29 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, August 9, 2011

the good thing about this school is its cultural diversity. Other than that, much of the resources are used on ELL and trying to bring the kids up to par on reading. There is super low parent participation for a school with this many children. The school doesn't host any extracurricular programs to enhance or build children's interests; everything is centered around tutoring for reading and the SOLs. Some of the teachers show enthusiasm in what they do, but teacher participation in afterschool meetings or events is minimal. Close Quote

Schools Near William Ramsay Elementary

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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 Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	SOL VA Studies (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 (2025)	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 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 5th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th 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 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 Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
William Ramsay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5700 Sanger Ave	Alexandria	22311	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 824-6950	689	45	15.3	88.7%	78 (11.3%)	131 (19.0%)	350 (50.8%)	74 (10.7%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	51 (7.4%)	9.8	1029^th of 1111 public elementary schools	7.4%		6	1065^th of 1110 public elementary schools	4.1%	36					41.4	60.0	53.8				46.8		32.7	48.5	47.8					57.7	$15,311	$636	$14,675
John Adams Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	5651 Rayburn Ave	Alexandria	22311	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(703) 824-6970	743	49	15.0	110.8%	147 (19.8%)	184 (24.8%)	303 (40.8%)	81 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	26 (3.5%)	24.9	895^th of 1111 public elementary schools	19.4%		19.5	934^th of 1110 public elementary schools	15.9%	39					43.0	57.9	65.1				63.1		43.8	56.3	58.8					88.9	$15,767	$913	$14,854
Ferdinand T. Day Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1701 N Beauregard Street	Alexandria	22311	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 619-8125	589	36	16.3	89.1%	97 (16.5%)	179 (30.4%)	232 (39.4%)	66 (11.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (2.0%)	19.3	955^th of 1111 public elementary schools	14.0%		9.5	1030^th of 1110 public elementary schools	7.2%	75					57.5	52.8	58.7				60.9		46.8	58.6	51.7					75.0	$11,865	$691	$11,174
James K. Polk Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5000 Polk Ave	Alexandria	22304	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 461-4180	804	48	16.9	75.7%	197 (24.5%)	206 (25.6%)	255 (31.7%)	96 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	47 (5.8%)	31.7	826^th of 1111 public elementary schools	25.7%		29.5	835^th of 1110 public elementary schools	24.8%	9					65.6	69.2	66.7				57.7		57.8	62.5	62.2					67.7	$11,597	$534	$11,064
Parklawn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4116 Braddock Rd	Alexandria	22312	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 914-6900	963	69	14.0	98.1%	257 (26.7%)	155 (16.1%)	294 (30.5%)	237 (24.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.8%)	8.8	1036^th of 1111 public elementary schools	6.8%		10.8	1017^th of 1110 public elementary schools	8.4%	19					46.1	61.6	38.0				35.4		44.9	60.0	48.7						$12,802	$1,127	$11,675
Patrick Henry K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	4643 Taney Ave	Alexandria	22304	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 461-4170	1,075	60	17.9	96.8%	217 (20.2%)	343 (31.9%)	303 (28.2%)	95 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.5%)	101 (9.4%)	28.1	865^th of 1111 public elementary schools	22.1%		28.5	843^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	24.1%	22	471.0		478.0	100.0	72.0	64.0	51.4	61.1	45.7	21.4	48.7	74.6	60.2	58.8	58.7	65.6	65.6	74.6	79.4	70.3	$10,628	$392	$10,236
Samuel W. Tucker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	435 Ferdinand Day Dr	Alexandria	22304	Alexandria city	Alexandria City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 933-6300	735	43	17.0	77.0%	187 (25.4%)	213 (29.0%)	166 (22.6%)	94 (12.8%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	68 (9.3%)	30.6	834^th of 1111 public elementary schools	24.9%		31.3	814^th of 1110 public elementary schools	26.7%	20					67.4	60.4	63.5				58.8		59.0	60.4	61.5					81.0	$14,433	$455	$13,978
Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-2	6111 Knollwood Dr	Falls Church	22041	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(703) 575-6800	814	60	13.6	72.4%	141 (17.3%)	29 (3.6%)	592 (72.7%)	32 (3.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.2%)								(n/a)																					$14,529	$1,268	$13,262
Glen Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5829 Glen Forest Dr	Falls Church	22041	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 578-8000	779	64	12.2	97.6%	195 (25.0%)	78 (10.0%)	412 (52.9%)	78 (10.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.7%)	8.6	1038^th of 1111 public elementary schools	6.6%		9.3	1034^th of 1110 public elementary schools	6.8%	4					56.6	53.2	41.5				40.4		44.7	53.2	54.6						$14,765	$1,629	$13,136
Weyanoke Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6520 Braddock Rd	Alexandria	22312	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 813-5400	590	44	13.5	97.1%	58 (9.8%)	136 (23.1%)	317 (53.7%)	65 (11.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	8.7	1037^th of 1111 public elementary schools	6.7%		6.5	1061^st of 1110 public elementary schools	4.4%	24		≥ 50%			60.0	48.5	50.0				48.4		44.6	49.5	49.5						$15,350	$1,441	$13,909

Frequently Asked Questions about William Ramsay Elementary

How many students attend William Ramsay Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 689 students attended William Ramsay Elementary.

What district is William Ramsay Elementary in?

Alexandria City Public Schools

Is William Ramsay Elementary a good school?

William Ramsay Elementary ranks in the bottom 7.4% of Virginia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of William Ramsay Elementary attend?

Students who attend William Ramsay Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Alexandria City High

What is the racial makeup of William Ramsay Elementary?

Students at William Ramsay Elementary are 51% Hispanic, 19% African American, 11% White, 11% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 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.