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Coates Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-6

936^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Coates Elementary is a PK–6 school in Herndon, Virginia, serving 996 students as part of Fairfax County Public Schools. The school is the largest elementary in its immediate area and serves a predominantly high-poverty student body, with 71.7% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. On recent state assessments, Coates ranked in the 16th percentile of Virginia elementary schools, placing it below the district and state averages in most subjects. It outperforms the very lowest-performing nearby schools like Hutchison Elementary and Herndon Elementary, but trails well behind the high-performing cluster of Oak Hill Elementary, Fox Mill Elementary, and Floris Elementary, which rank in the 85th–94th percentile range. Nearby McNair Upper Elementary, for comparison, ranks at the 47th percentile.

Reading is the school's clearest academic challenge. Proficiency rates trail the district by wide margins—4th grade reading sits at 47.7% versus 77.7% districtwide, and 5th grade reading (54.4%) also lags far behind. Math, however, is showing real momentum. Between 2023–24 and 2025–26, 3rd grade math proficiency jumped from 46.1% to 69.8%, and 6th grade math reached 68.8%, nearly matching the district average and exceeding the state average. Science improved as well, from 41.6% to 51.5%. These gains suggest recent instructional changes may be taking hold, even as reading progress remains inconsistent across grade levels.

One of the school's strongest accomplishments has been reducing chronic absenteeism from 28.2% in 2021–22 to just 9.4% in 2024–25—now better than both the district (11.9%) and state (14.8%) averages. Coates also shows meaningful progress for African American students and English learners relative to statewide peers. Still, the school spends $12,009 per student with a 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio—less than several comparable schools like Forest Grove Elementary ($21,258, 9.6:1) and Clearview Elementary ($15,631, 11.4:1)—leaving room for additional resources. The path forward is clear: strengthen reading instruction, ensure every student group is supported effectively, and close the gap with high-performing neighbors.

996

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,009

Per pupil spending ?

71.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2480 River Birch Rd.
Herndon, VA 20171

(703) 713-3000

District: Fairfax County Public Schools

Students who attend Coates Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Carson Middle
High:	Westfield High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

32.6%

African American:

27.4%

Asian:

18.5%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Coates Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 40th percentile in 2022 → 16th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (57% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 40th-percentile peak (2022) to 16th (2026)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school57%

District avg75%

Virginia avg71%

936^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

114^th of 137Elementary Schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools

39^th of 131Fairfax 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	20.4	936 of 1111	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	974 of 1110	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.2	1002 of 1114	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.8	764 of 1114	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.8	669 of 1109	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.0	770 of 1103	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.1	784 of 1105	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.5	868 of 1097	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	37.4	802 of 1099	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.1	1008 of 1096	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	23.5	945 of 1100	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	41.5	730 of 1110	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.2	761 of 1120	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.4	621 of 1117	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	62.2	408 of 1117	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.8	490 of 1113	56.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	47.5	341 of 591	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.3	471 of 579	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	514 of 588	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	55.3	282 of 579	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	189 of 246	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	44.8	157 of 249	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.8	136 of 238	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.0	122 of 230	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	1.5	413 of 420	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	203 of 315	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.2	239 of 326	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	270 of 306	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.0	161 of 300	46.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	28.0	864 of 1100	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.1	920 of 1096	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.0	982 of 1098	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.0	826 of 1100	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	10.5	594 of 619	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.8	560 of 606	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.2	569 of 580	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	29.4	436 of 564	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	27.4	838 of 1040	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.1	900 of 1046	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	984 of 1036	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	15.9	979 of 1099	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.8	984 of 1093	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.2	1010 of 1101	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	41.2	704 of 1093	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	15.2	910 of 974	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.6	921 of 973	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.4	942 of 979	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.2	832 of 984	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)42nd percentile+27 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)36th percentile+20 vs school

Asian (2026)23rd percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)21st percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)11th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)7th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)4th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2026)2nd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics61%-10 vs state

English Reading55%-17 vs state

Science52%-17 vs state

4.8

4 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★3

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, January 16, 2019

We love this school..my daughter love her school and her teachers. This school is underrated, Mr.Kraft the new principal is amazing, and rest of teacher and office staff is amazing, professional, kind and love the kids. I hope this school getting better rating. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, September 27, 2017

My daughter is going to Coates from last 5 years.It is an underrated school, which is not justified.Teachers are excellent ,they always encourages students. With amazing new principal, I am sure this school will get its share of limelight. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, August 30, 2017

My daughter has been at Coates since kindergarten and she's now in the fifth grade. She has been very happy there. The teachers and staff are very caring and supportive. They embrace technology and have a fabulous full time level IV program. This school is underrated. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 13, 2012

My daughter goes to Coates Elementary school and this is brand new school(4 years old) with all latest facilities that kids need. We loved the school and teachers. Close Quote

Schools Near Coates 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 Algebra I (2026)	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 Algebra I 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Coates Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2480 River Birch Rd.	Herndon	20171	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 713-3000	996	70	14.1	71.7%	165 (16.6%)	273 (27.4%)	325 (32.6%)	184 (18.5%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (4.5%)	20.4	936^th of 1111 public elementary schools	15.8%		15.8	974^th of 1110 public elementary schools	12.3%	38		69.8	56.4	50.5	68.8	51.5	52.7	47.7	54.4	64.6		$12,009	$375	$11,634
McNair Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	2499 Thomas Jefferson Dr.	Herndon	20171	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 793-4800	520	41	12.6	48.8%	93 (17.9%)	111 (21.3%)	84 (16.2%)	213 (41.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)								(n/a)												$14,714	$423	$14,291
McNair Upper Elementary	Public	3-6	2410 Fox Mill Road	Herndon	20171	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 793-4800	605	36	16.9	34.7%	76 (12.6%)	103 (17.0%)	103 (17.0%)	300 (49.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.8%)	52.3	588^th of 1111 public elementary schools	47.1%		53.7	558^th of 1110 public elementary schools	49.7%	30		67.7	77.7	63.3	71.9	68.1	66.9	69.8	75.0	84.9		$10,903	$271	$10,633
Hutchison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	13209 Parcher Ave	Herndon	20170	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 925-8300	970	72	13.5	92.4%	42 (4.3%)	55 (5.7%)	771 (79.5%)	67 (6.9%)	21 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.4%)	2.6	1096^th of 1111 public elementary schools	1.4%		3.4	1087^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.1%	9		44.6	43.5	28.8	31.6	41.6	38.4	37.4	41.4	47.9		$15,579	$1,824	$13,756
Floris Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2708 Centreville Rd	Herndon	20171	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 561-2900	666	44	15.0	11.9%	193 (29.0%)	37 (5.6%)	48 (7.2%)	338 (50.8%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (6.6%)	82.1	170^th of 1111 public elementary schools	84.7%		75.2	286^th of 1110 public elementary schools	74.2%	116	100.0	89.0	79.6	85.2	79.6	92.6	85.9	83.0	86.3	90.5		$10,732	$335	$10,396
Fox Mill Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	2611 Viking Dr	Herndon	20171	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 262-2700	650	46	14.1	9.2%	395 (60.8%)	18 (2.8%)	67 (10.3%)	79 (12.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (13.7%)	85.2	123^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	88.9%		89.4	58^th of 1110 public elementary schools	94.8%	65		90.6	92.5	78.7	88.6	81.9	81.9	89.6	88.0	92.2		$12,526	$320	$12,205
Clearview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	12635 Builders Rd	Herndon	20170	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 708-6000	580	50	11.4	60.2%	154 (26.6%)	37 (6.4%)	325 (56.0%)	40 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.8%)	43.3	700^th of 1111 public elementary schools	37.0%		36.3	752^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	32.3%	52		71.3	68.2	63.3	68.9	68.9	62.8	58.3	74.3	78.1		$15,631	$1,241	$14,391
Dogwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	12300 Glade Dr	Reston	20191	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 262-3100	745	59	12.5	98.5%	87 (11.7%)	104 (14.0%)	439 (58.9%)	77 (10.3%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (4.3%)	7.8	1046^th of 1111 public elementary schools	5.9%		5.1	1072^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	3.4%	26		54.0	50.0	45.9	55.3	49.4	40.3	45.1	39.8	39.3		$13,667	$1,230	$12,437
Oak Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3210 Kinross Circle	Herndon	20171	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 467-3500	628	47	13.4	8.3%	272 (43.3%)	14 (2.2%)	59 (9.4%)	226 (36.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.1%)	88.7	62^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	94.4%		86.4	95^th of 1110 public elementary schools	91.4%	33	100.0	91.7	95.3	82.5	79.7	90.1	88.9	93.4	92.8	87.7		$12,571	$298	$12,272
Forest Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	46245 Forest Ridge Dr.	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 434-4560	529	55	9.6	99.4%	80 (15.1%)	22 (4.2%)	355 (67.1%)	56 (10.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)	20.3	937^th of 1111 public elementary schools	15.7%		18.1	948^th of 1110 public elementary schools	14.6%	11		53.5	65.0	65.5		50.6	40.9	59.5	53.5		76.7	$21,258	$1,078	$20,180

Frequently Asked Questions about Coates Elementary

Is Coates Elementary a good school?

Coates Elementary ranks in the bottom 15.8% of Virginia elementary schools.

What district is Coates Elementary in?

Fairfax County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Coates Elementary?

Students at Coates Elementary are 33% Hispanic, 27% African American, 18% Asian, 17% White, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Coates Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 996 students attended Coates Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Coates Elementary attend?

Students who attend Coates Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Carson Middle
High : Westfield High

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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.