Totaro Elementary

Totaro Elementary is a PK-6 public school in Lawrenceville, VA, serving 295 students in Brunswick County Public Schools, a district that ranks in the bottom quarter of Virginia school divisions. The school serves a highly economically disadvantaged student population, with universal meal eligibility, and its most remarkable story is its long-term trajectory. A decade ago, Totaro ranked in the bottom 1–3% of Virginia elementary schools, earning 0-star ratings. By 2023-24, it climbed to the 47th percentile statewide, and while it has since settled at the 29th percentile, it remains far above its historic lows.

Totaro's academic profile shows genuine strengths in early elementary and 6th grade, but a notable dip in the middle. 3rd grade math proficiency was 85.4% versus 74.0% statewide, and 6th grade reading hit 88.4% versus 73.0% statewide. However, 4th and 5th grade math scores fall to around 50%, while 5th grade science (40.5%) and 4th grade Virginia Studies (34.0%) are significant weaknesses. Compared to Meherrin Powellton Elementary, the district's highest-performing school, Totaro actually wins in 3rd grade math, 3rd grade reading, and 6th grade reading — but Meherrin pulls far ahead in 4th and 5th grade subjects. Totaro outranks Red Oak-Sturgeon Elementary, which sits in the 17th percentile, and beats it in most 3rd and 6th grade subjects.

Attendance has been a major success story: chronic absenteeism dropped from 28.2% in 2021-22 to 14.2% in 2024-25, at or below the state average for three consecutive years — a likely contributor to the academic gains. The school faces real resource challenges, though, with per-pupil spending of $7,986, among the lowest in the region, and a student-teacher ratio of 16.6, the highest among nearby schools. Despite this, African American and low-income students have at times ranked near or above the statewide median, a sign that improvement has been broadly shared. Protecting those gains will be the key to sustaining Totaro's upward trajectory.