Summary
Cameron Elementary is a PK-6 school in Alexandria, VA, serving 606 students as part of Fairfax County Public Schools, a district ranked in the 70th percentile statewide. The school serves a high-poverty population — 87.6% of students qualified for free/reduced lunch in 2024-25, up from 67.9% two years earlier — and currently ranks 795th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools (28th percentile, 1 star). That places it below the Fairfax County average and many nearby schools, but Cameron has shown meaningful improvement over the past several years, climbing from the 10th percentile in 2022-23 to its current 28th-percentile rank, all while its student population became more economically disadvantaged.
What the overall rating doesn't capture is that Cameron is genuinely effective for several student groups. African American students at Cameron rank in the 75th percentile statewide — a 4-star rating — up from the 38th percentile just two years ago. Low-SES students rank in the 42nd percentile and English Language Learners in the 37th, both above the school's overall standing. Fourth grade is a bright spot, with 76.9% proficiency in math and 77.6% in reading, both above state averages and essentially tied with the district in reading. Cameron also outperforms Mount Eagle Elementary, a similar high-poverty neighbor (78.7% FRPL), in most tested subjects, despite Mount Eagle spending more per student ($15,777 vs $13,230) and having lower chronic absenteeism. Cameron's student-teacher ratio is a favorable 12.7:1.
The biggest warning sign is a sharp drop in 5th grade. While 4th graders match state averages, 5th grade math proficiency falls to 43.9% (vs. 72.4% statewide), reading to 54.7% (vs. 72.4%), and science to 48.2% (vs. 68.8%). The gap with nearby low-poverty schools is wide — Clermont Elementary posts 5th grade reading scores of 86.5% and Bush Hill Elementary 77.8%. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically, falling from 22.6% in 2022-23 to 15.1% in 2024-25, though it remains above the district average of 11.9%. Cameron is a high-need school making genuine progress, and the 5th-grade dip points to a clear intervention opportunity. If the school can replicate its 4th-grade success in upper grades and keep reducing absenteeism, it's well positioned to convert recent gains into sustained, schoolwide growth.
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