Summary
Halley Elementary in Fairfax Station, VA, serves about 608 students in grades PK–6 as part of Fairfax County Public Schools, a district that ranks in the 70th percentile statewide. However, Halley itself ranks in the 35th percentile (718th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools), placing it in the lower-middle tier and well below the overall strength of its district.
Test scores at Halley trail district averages across nearly every grade and subject, with the widest gaps appearing in upper-grade math. Only about 55% of 5th and 6th graders are proficient in math, compared with roughly two-thirds of students across Fairfax County. Reading is relatively stronger, and 6th grade reading has exceeded the state average for three consecutive years. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, sitting at 16.3% — above both the district rate of 11.9% and the state rate of 14.8%. This is especially notable because the school serves a diverse population, with 41.1% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Subgroup data shows the strongest performance for white students (65th percentile) and the weakest for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (11th percentile), indicating meaningful equity gaps.
The most striking context is what surrounds Halley. Just under a mile away, Silverbrook Elementary ranks in the 97th percentile, and Sangster Elementary, about 2.7 miles away, ranks 3rd in the state. Halley actually spends more per student ($13,328) and has a lower student-teacher ratio (12.8:1) than either of those top performers, yet its outcomes lag substantially. The nearby comparison schools serve far fewer economically disadvantaged students, which helps explain the gap. Encouragingly, Halley has improved from a 1-star rating several years ago to a 2-star rating today, and military-connected students posted a strong 82nd percentile ranking in the prior year. With targeted investments in attendance and math support, Halley has clear room to keep climbing.
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