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Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

14^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 416 Virginia Middle Schools

Better than 97% of Virginia middle schools

Summary

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in Falls Church, VA is a top-ranked school serving approximately 632 students in grades 6–8 as part of Falls Church City Public Schools, the 3rd-ranked district in Virginia out of 131 districts. For 2025–2026, the school ranks 14th out of 416 Virginia middle schools (97th percentile, 5 stars), and it has ranked between 8th and 14th in the state since 2021–2022, showing sustained excellence.

Academically, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School posts proficiency rates far above the Virginia state average on every SOL subject and grade level. In 2025–2026, 8th grade math proficiency was 83.49% versus 46.86% statewide, and 7th grade reading reached 93.14% versus roughly 73% statewide. The advanced mathematics pathway is fully successful, with 100% proficiency on Algebra I and Geometry SOL tests. Among nearby schools, only Williamsburg Middle outranks Mary Ellen Henderson; Cooper Middle, Longfellow Middle, and Dorothy Hamm Middle trail behind. Chronic absenteeism is among the lowest in the region at 5.8%, well below the 14.8% state average and better than nearby Swanson Middle (8.4%) and Kilmer Middle (10.4%). The school also excels across science (86.85% on 8th grade SOL), civics (90.05%), and World History I (94.39%).

The school serves a wide range of learners at a very high level, with strong subgroup rankings for English Language Learners (9th of 134), disabled students (11th of 292), and military-connected students (1st of 130). Per-student spending of $14,877 is substantially higher than most nearby Fairfax County Public Schools such as Cooper ($10,015) and Kilmer ($10,274), and comparable to Arlington County Public Schools. One area to watch: relative performance of low-socioeconomic-status students has declined over the past three years, though these students still perform well in absolute terms. Overall, Mary Ellen Henderson combines elite academics, near-universal success in advanced math, excellent attendance, and strong outcomes for a broad range of students, making it one of the strongest middle schools in the entire state.

632

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,877

Per pupil spending ?

10.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

105 Mustang Alley
Falls Church, VA 22043

(703) 720-5700

District: Falls Church City Public Schools

Students who attend Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School usually attend:

High:

Meridian High School

Feeder schools for Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School:

Elementary:	Mount Daniel Elementary School
	Oak Street Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.0%

Two or more races:

12.8%

Hispanic:

12.2%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 91st percentile in 2016 → 97th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (91% vs 69% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 3% of Virginia middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school91%

District avg91%

Virginia avg69%

14^th of 416

Virginia public middle schools ?

Top 3%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 3% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 131Falls Church City 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	87.6	14 of 416	96.6%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	11 of 419	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	88.9	9 of 417	97.8%	★★★★★
2023	90.5	8 of 422	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	88.2	10 of 415	97.6%	★★★★★
2021	87.2	14 of 419	96.7%	★★★★★
2019	79.7	35 of 424	91.7%	★★★★★
2018	81.3	26 of 413	93.7%	★★★★★
2017	78.7	46 of 415	88.9%	★★★★☆
2016	80.0	37 of 409	91.0%	★★★★★
2015	80.5	34 of 412	91.7%	★★★★★
2014	87.7	15 of 416	96.4%	★★★★★
2013	78.1	42 of 416	89.9%	★★★★★
2012	75.0	44 of 413	89.3%	★★★★☆
2011	69.1	71 of 413	82.8%	★★★★☆
2010	72.9	53 of 408	87.0%	★★★★☆
2009	60.2	120 of 390	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.0	60 of 391	84.7%	★★★★☆
2007	73.6	41 of 387	89.4%	★★★★☆
2006	66.2	85 of 383	77.8%	★★★★☆
2005	79.0	37 of 340	89.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	81.3	35 of 297	88.2%	★★★★☆
2024	82.2	34 of 299	88.6%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	83.3	5 of 137	96.4%	★★★★★
2025	75.2	15 of 136	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.9	19 of 128	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	65.6	44 of 132	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	92.5	11 of 292	96.2%	★★★★★
2024	95.1	4 of 281	98.6%	★★★★★
2023	94.7	6 of 278	97.8%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	87.1	9 of 134	93.3%	★★★★★
2025	71.6	23 of 135	83.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	89.2	7 of 409	98.3%	★★★★★
2025	87.3	9 of 403	97.8%	★★★★★
2024	89.2	9 of 407	97.8%	★★★★★
2023	91.5	6 of 411	98.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.0	71 of 283	74.9%	★★★★☆
2025	62.9	96 of 279	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.8	69 of 272	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	61.2	88 of 275	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	54.4	177 of 401	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.1	127 of 403	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.1	85 of 402	78.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	86.9	16 of 410	96.1%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	10 of 404	97.5%	★★★★★
2024	87.3	15 of 407	96.3%	★★★★★
2023	88.7	11 of 409	97.3%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	89.9	1 of 130	99.2%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	87.8	4 of 249	98.4%	★★★★★
2025	85.2	8 of 244	96.7%	★★★★★
2024	86.8	8 of 237	96.6%	★★★★★
2023	90.2	4 of 231	98.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	88.9	6 of 400	98.5%	★★★★★
2025	89.3	6 of 400	98.5%	★★★★★
2024	90.0	7 of 396	98.2%	★★★★★
2023	92.5	2 of 402	99.5%	★★★★★

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)

Military Connected (2025)99th percentile~ school

White (2026)98th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)98th percentile~ school

Female (2026)98th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)96th percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)96th percentile~ school

Male (2026)96th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)93rd percentile-3 vs school

African American (2025)88th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)75th percentile-22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)56th percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry100%+3 vs state

Algebra I100%+5 vs state

World History I94%+12 vs state

English Reading92%+19 vs state

Civics and Economics90%+20 vs state

Science87%+22 vs state

Mathematics84%+29 vs state

★

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Schools Near Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School

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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 Geometry (2026)		SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Algebra II (2026)	SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)			SOL World History I (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (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 Geometry 7th Grade	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra II 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL World History I 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School	Public	6-8	105 Mustang Alley	Falls Church	22043	Fairfax County	Falls Church City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 720-5700	632	45	13.9	10.1%	398 (63.0%)	22 (3.5%)	77 (12.2%)	53 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (12.8%)	87.6	14^th of 416 public middle schools	96.6%		87.8	11^th of 419 public middle schools	97.4%	3		100.0	100.0	100.0		87.0	80.8	83.5	86.9	92.2	93.1	91.8	94.4	90.1	$14,877	$247	$14,629
Longfellow Middle	Public, Magnet	7-8	2000 Westmoreland St	Falls Church	22043	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 533-2600	1,226	116	10.5	10.6%	554 (45.2%)	43 (3.5%)	153 (12.5%)	366 (29.9%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	105 (8.6%)	81.8	35^th of 416 public middle schools	91.6%		83.6	30^th of 419 public middle schools	92.8%	5	100.0	100.0	100.0	94.4	100.0		39.7		90.1		92.4	94.4			$10,736	$208	$10,528
Kilmer Middle	Public	7-8	8100 Wolftrap Rd	Vienna	22182	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 846-8800	1,199	83	14.4		498 (41.5%)	71 (5.9%)	216 (18.0%)	312 (26.0%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	95 (7.9%)	75.3	73^rd of 416 public middle schools	82.5%		73.4	96^th of 419 public middle schools	77.1%	23		100.0	100.0	97.8	100.0		49.6	33.1	78.9		86.8	85.4			$10,274	$239	$10,035
Williamsburg Middle	Public	6-8	3600 N Harrison St	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5450	856	57	15.1	2.8%	620 (72.4%)	20 (2.3%)	75 (8.8%)	39 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	102 (11.9%)	91.3	5^th of 416 public middle schools	98.8%		91.8	5^th of 419 public middle schools	98.8%			100.0	100.0	98.9		97.1	73.7	85.4	94.4	99.0	92.0	96.7		96.9	$13,381	$00	$13,381
Thoreau Middle	Public	7-8	2505 Cedar Ln	Vienna	22180	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 846-8000	1,239	109	11.3	18.8%	614 (49.6%)	67 (5.4%)	232 (18.7%)	231 (18.6%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (7.2%)	78.7	51^st of 416 public middle schools	87.7%		77.9	61^st of 419 public middle schools	85.4%	10		100.0	100.0	96.4			67.5	38.0	83.4		89.0	87.0			$10,833	$276	$10,557
Jackson Middle	Public	7-8	3020 Gallows Rd	Falls Church	22042	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 204-8100	991	76	13.0	52.9%	208 (21.0%)	50 (5.0%)	502 (50.7%)	172 (17.4%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	53 (5.3%)	31	325^th of 416 public middle schools	21.9%		37.7	289^th of 419 public middle schools	31.0%	36		100.0	97.9	72.7	100.0		11.2	19.2	66.3		59.0	67.8			$13,311	$262	$13,049
Swanson Middle	Public	6-8	5800 Washington Blvd	Arlington	22205	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-5500	993	70	14.1	19.9%	530 (53.4%)	64 (6.4%)	232 (23.4%)	80 (8.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (8.7%)	73.2	89^th of 416 public middle schools	78.6%		76.6	74^th of 419 public middle schools	82.3%	15		100.0	100.0	98.3		73.2	35.8	56.3	80.5	85.6	78.0	84.8		83.3	$13,989	$04	$13,985
Cooper Middle	Public, Magnet	7-8	977 Balls Hill Rd	Mclean	22101	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(703) 442-5800	997	81	12.3	3.1%	478 (47.9%)	20 (2.0%)	75 (7.5%)	328 (32.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (9.5%)	85.9	18^th of 416 public middle schools	95.7%		86.7	15^th of 419 public middle schools	96.4%	3	100.0	99.3	100.0	96.7	100.0			65.9	91.9		95.3	95.4			$10,015	$270	$9,745
Kenmore Middle	Public	6-8	200 S Carlin Springs Rd	Arlington	22204	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-6800	1,053	75	14.0	54.9%	285 (27.1%)	108 (10.3%)	500 (47.5%)	95 (9.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (6.1%)	48.1	242^nd of 416 public middle schools	41.8%		49.7	222^nd of 419 public middle schools	47.0%	20		100.0	100.0	96.0		55.6	48.4	58.1	71.1	62.5	70.4	70.9		72.5	$15,296	$04	$15,293
Dorothy Hamm Middle	Public	6-8	4100 N Vacation Lane	Arlington	22207	Arlington County	Arlington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 228-2910	989	69	14.2	18.9%	517 (52.3%)	91 (9.2%)	151 (15.3%)	142 (14.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (8.8%)	81	38^th of 416 public middle schools	90.9%		81.3	40^th of 419 public middle schools	90.5%	2		100.0	100.0	100.0		70.9	68.9	59.0	82.3	86.3	86.4	85.6		90.4	$13,436	$46	$13,390

Frequently Asked Questions about Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School?

Students at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School are 63% White, 13% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 3% African American.

Is Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School a good school?

Yes! Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 14^th of 416 Virginia middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School usually go on to attend Meridian High School

What district is Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in?

Falls Church City Public Schools

How many students attend Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 632 students attended Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School.

Rate Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School!

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresNewAug 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.