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Big Island Elementary

Q: Is Big Island Elementary a good school?

Big Island Elementary ranks 527 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

527^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 53% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Big Island Elementary is a small, rural school in Big Island, VA, serving 182 students in grades PK-5 as part of Bedford County Public Schools. The school earned a 3-star rating in 2025-26, placing it in the 53rd percentile of Virginia elementary schools. What makes Big Island Elementary stand out from its district peers is its student population: 82.4% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a poverty rate far higher than nearby schools in the same district, such as Thomas Jefferson Elementary (24.5%), Forest Elementary (18.0%), and Boonsboro Elementary (26.5%).

Academically, Big Island is a school of contrasts. Math is a genuine bright spot: 90.3% of 3rd graders and 93.3% of 5th graders scored proficient in math in 2025-26, numbers that rival or exceed more affluent schools in the area. Reading tells a different story, with proficiency ranging from 61.3% to 73.3% across grades — well below the district average and far behind Otter River Elementary, which posted reading proficiency of 85–88%. Science also lagged at 66.7%. Compared with other high-poverty schools in the region, however, Big Island performs remarkably well: it beat nearby Natural Bridge Elementary by enormous margins in both math and reading, suggesting this school is doing a lot right for its students.

One area of concern is chronic absenteeism. In 2024-25, 15.1% of Big Island students were chronically absent — higher than every Bedford County peer school. This matters because the school has shown it can achieve outstanding results with low-income students, ranking in the 93rd percentile statewide for that subgroup in 2023-24. With only 182 students, year-to-year test scores can swing dramatically as individual cohorts move through the grades, so single-year ratings are less meaningful than multi-year trends. The school spends about $9,621 per student, higher than several higher-performing district peers. For parents, the key takeaway is this: Big Island has real strengths in math and a track record of supporting disadvantaged students, but attendance and literacy are the areas to watch.

182

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,621

Per pupil spending ?

82.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1114 Schooldays Rd
Big Island, VA 24526

(434) 299-5863

District: Bedford County Public Schools

Students who attend Big Island Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Liberty Middle
High:	Liberty High

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.1%

Two or more races:

6.6%

Hispanic:

4.9%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 49th percentile in 2016 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Virginia median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school75%

District avg77%

Virginia avg72%

527^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 49% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 12Elementary Schools in the Bedford County Public Schools

35^th of 131Bedford 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	56.9	527 of 1111	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.6	580 of 1110	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.6	418 of 1114	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	81.7	180 of 1114	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	74.0	289 of 1109	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	74.1	282 of 1103	74.4%	★★★★☆
2019	69.8	328 of 1105	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	63.1	430 of 1097	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.5	466 of 1099	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.3	556 of 1096	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	60.7	456 of 1100	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	30.4	884 of 1110	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.8	867 of 1120	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.6	952 of 1117	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	36.9	846 of 1117	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	37.3	863 of 1113	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.6	968 of 1082	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	41.4	749 of 1081	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.5	701 of 1083	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	50.3	601 of 1071	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	58.3	464 of 1062	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	64.6	405 of 1100	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.2	402 of 1096	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	80.4	178 of 1098	83.8%	★★★★☆
2023	82.7	138 of 1100	87.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	84.4	76 of 1036	92.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	610 of 1099	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.6	547 of 1093	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.1	416 of 1101	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	76.4	232 of 1093	78.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	643 of 974	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.8	817 of 973	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	69.9	263 of 979	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	67.3	310 of 984	68.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)93rd percentile+30 vs school

Female (2026)63rd percentile+11 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics87%+14 vs state

VA Studies71%~ state avg

Science67%~ state avg

English Reading66%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Big Island 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 Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Big Island Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1114 Schooldays Rd	Big Island	24526	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 299-5863	182	12	14.9	82.4%	153 (84.1%)	7 (3.8%)	9 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.6%)	56.9	527^th of 1111 public elementary schools	52.6%		51.6	580^th of 1110 public elementary schools	47.7%	53	90.3	79.2	93.3	66.7	61.3	66.7	73.3	70.8	$9,621	$757	$8,865
Natural Bridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	42 Natural Bridge School Rd.	Natural Bridge Station	24579	Rockbridge County	Rockbridge County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 291-2292	230	22	10.5	98.3%	178 (77.4%)	8 (3.5%)	15 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (12.6%)	14.1	997^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.3%		14.4	986^th of 1110 public elementary schools	11.2%	11	44.2	60.6	51.7	44.8	39.5	60.6	44.8	69.7	$11,862	$1,771	$10,091
Boonsboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1234 Eagle Circle	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 384-2881	309	19	16.2	26.5%	253 (81.9%)	22 (7.1%)	16 (5.2%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	76.2	266^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.1%		74.5	294^th of 1110 public elementary schools	73.5%	28	87.5	69.1	89.4	88.0	85.7	81.5	81.6	84.6	$8,031	$318	$7,714
Otter River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1044 Otter River Dr	Goode	24556	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 586-9210	167	12	13.6	36.5%	137 (82.0%)	9 (5.4%)	9 (5.4%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.6%)	86	104^th of 1111 public elementary schools	90.6%		81.7	187^th of 1110 public elementary schools	83.2%	83	96.0	90.5	89.7	89.7	88.0	85.7	86.2	81.0	$10,506	$395	$10,111
Elon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	147 Younger Dr	Madison Heights	24572	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 528-6496	288	22	13.0	83.0%	215 (74.7%)	35 (12.2%)	8 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (8.0%)	66.3	396^th of 1111 public elementary schools	64.4%		57	516^th of 1110 public elementary schools	53.5%	120	80.9	81.6	82.8	72.4	76.6	81.6	75.9	71.4	$10,060	$878	$9,182
Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	One Scholar Lane	Forest	24551	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 525-2681	384	22	17.6	18.0%	273 (71.1%)	18 (4.7%)	32 (8.3%)	36 (9.4%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.5%)	75.7	271^st of 1111 public elementary schools	75.6%		84.2	141^st of 1110 public elementary schools	87.3%	130	89.9	68.7	90.0	91.8	88.4	85.7	86.9	73.8	$7,713	$582	$7,132
Paul Munro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4641 Locksview Rd	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5260	356	26	13.6	97.2%	173 (48.6%)	113 (31.7%)	34 (9.6%)	7 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.9%)	57.5	513^th of 1111 public elementary schools	53.8%		73.7	300^th of 1110 public elementary schools	73.0%	213	81.6	76.0	72.0	62.0	71.4	82.0	70.0	78.7	$8,460	$1,798	$6,661
Enderly Heights Elementary	Public	2-5	101 Woodland Ave	Buena Vista	24416	Buena Vista city	Buena Vista City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 261-6151	268	21	12.7	92.2%	213 (79.5%)	7 (2.6%)	21 (7.8%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.5%)	60	476^th of 1111 public elementary schools	57.2%		57.4	511^th of 1110 public elementary schools	54.0%	35	51.6	74.1	88.4	78.3	60.0	84.5	84.1	80.4	$10,062	$1,512	$8,550
Bedford Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4330 Morningside Dr	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5210	402	31	12.9	98.0%	195 (48.5%)	124 (30.8%)	42 (10.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.5%)	43.5	696^th of 1111 public elementary schools	37.4%		36.6	750^th of 1110 public elementary schools	32.4%	54	78.7	75.0	50.0	69.2	68.0	63.3	68.8	67.8	$10,827	$1,504	$9,323
Thomas Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1255 Patriot Place	Forest	24551	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 534-6159	567	35	16.1	24.5%	404 (71.3%)	38 (6.7%)	51 (9.0%)	29 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.9%)	84.3	140^th of 1111 public elementary schools	87.4%		84.2	140^th of 1110 public elementary schools	87.4%		89.0	85.9	93.0	88.7	81.0	87.4	85.7	87.4	$8,846	$336	$8,510

Frequently Asked Questions about Big Island Elementary

Is Big Island Elementary a good school?

Big Island Elementary ranks 527^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Big Island Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 182 students attended Big Island Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Big Island Elementary?

Students at Big Island Elementary are 84% White, 7% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 4% African American.

What district is Big Island Elementary in?

Bedford County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Big Island Elementary attend?

Students who attend Big Island Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Liberty Middle
High : Liberty High

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Schools in Big Island, VA

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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.