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S.P. Morton Elementary

Q: Is S.P. Morton Elementary a good school?

S.P. Morton Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.4% of Virginia elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend S.P. Morton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 620 students attended S.P. Morton Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of S.P. Morton Elementary?

Students at S.P. Morton Elementary are 75% African American, 14% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of S.P. Morton Elementary attend?

Students who attend S.P. Morton Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Franklin High

Public Grades PK, KG-6

1107^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 0% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

S.P. Morton Elementary in Franklin, VA, serves 620 students in grades PK-6 and is the only elementary school in the Franklin City Public Schools district. The school ranks at the very bottom of Virginia elementary schools — 1,107th out of 1,111, placing it in the 0th percentile with a 0-star rating. This has been consistent over the past decade, with the school typically in the bottom 1-2% statewide. The student body is extremely high-need, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility above 100%, meaning essentially every student qualifies for economic support.

SOL test results show proficiency rates 30-50 percentage points behind state averages in every subject and grade. For example, 3rd grade math proficiency is 40.91% versus the state average of 74.04%, and 4th grade reading is 33.78% versus 73.70%. Nearby schools perform far better: Capron Elementary had 4th grade reading proficiency of 94.29%, and Carrsville Elementary had 93.02% in 3rd grade math. Chronic absenteeism is also a major concern at 24.7% — nearly double the state average of 14.8% and far higher than Riverdale Elementary's 4.8%. Spending is not the issue: S.P. Morton spends $10,602 per student, more than six of nine nearby schools, and its student-teacher ratio of 15.5 is in the middle of the pack.

The school is not succeeding with any student subgroup. Female, male, African American, White, and low-income students all score in the bottom 0-3 percentile statewide, indicating a schoolwide effectiveness problem rather than a challenge limited to one population. There are small signs of hope: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 57.8% in 2021-2022 to 24.7%, and some 2025-2026 test scores improved, such as 3rd grade math rising from 17.5% to 40.91%. However, these numbers remain far below acceptable. A comprehensive approach addressing attendance, instruction, and resource use is needed.

620

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,602

Per pupil spending ?

101.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

300 Morton Street
Franklin, VA 23851

(757) 562-5458

District: Franklin City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

74.7%

White:

13.5%

Hispanic:

5.5%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare S.P. Morton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2016 → <1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (33% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (25% vs 15% Virginia)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg33%

Virginia avg71%

1,107^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

131^st of 131Franklin 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	1.3	1107 of 1111	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	3.4	1086 of 1110	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.8	1093 of 1114	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.1	1094 of 1114	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.3	1092 of 1109	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.7	1042 of 1103	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.7	1030 of 1105	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	949 of 1097	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.0	986 of 1099	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.8	966 of 1096	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.9	942 of 1100	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	0.9	1107 of 1110	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.3	1103 of 1120	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	2.8	1111 of 1117	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.0	1082 of 1117	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	15.9	1060 of 1113	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	17.8	1020 of 1082	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	21.0	988 of 1081	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	31.0	897 of 1083	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	23.2	960 of 1071	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	8.6	1040 of 1062	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	1.6	590 of 591	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.2	570 of 579	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.2	573 of 588	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	556 of 579	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	3.6	1087 of 1100	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.6	1066 of 1096	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.2	1065 of 1098	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.3	1081 of 1100	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	2.3	1039 of 1040	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.1	1030 of 1046	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.6	1018 of 1036	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	1.4	1091 of 1099	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.4	1067 of 1093	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.3	1083 of 1101	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	1079 of 1093	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	10.4	940 of 974	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.3	904 of 973	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	944 of 979	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.7	980 of 984	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2026)3rd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)1st percentile~ school

Male (2026)1st percentile~ school

African American (2026)<1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science41%-28 vs state

English Reading38%-34 vs state

Mathematics28%-43 vs state

VA Studies25%-46 vs state

★

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Schools Near S.P. Morton 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 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 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	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
S.P. Morton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	300 Morton Street	Franklin	23851	Franklin city	Franklin City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 562-5458	620	40	15.5	101.5%	84 (13.5%)	463 (74.7%)	34 (5.5%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.3%)	1.3	1107^th of 1111 public elementary schools	0.4%		3.4	1086^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.2%	21	40.9	21.9	23.9	26.4	40.9	31.3	33.8	40.9	44.4	24.7		$10,602	$2,051	$8,552
Riverdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	31023 Camp Parkway	Courtland	23837	Southampton County	Southampton County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 562-3007	533	33	15.9	91.2%	265 (49.7%)	224 (42.0%)	17 (3.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (3.8%)	61.8	454^th of 1111 public elementary schools	59.1%		67.2	390^th of 1110 public elementary schools	64.9%	64	85.5	90.4	82.4		67.6	62.9	73.5	68.9			83.6	$7,413	$793	$6,621
Carrsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5355 Carrsville Hwy	Carrsville	23315	Isle of Wight County	Isle of Wight County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 357-8844	232	16	14.9	69.4%	163 (70.3%)	33 (14.2%)	17 (7.3%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.9%)	73.3	301^st of 1111 public elementary schools	72.9%		78.9	234^th of 1110 public elementary schools	78.9%	67	93.0	78.4	86.0		82.0	83.7	69.4	84.0		72.2		$11,625	$1,032	$10,592
Southwestern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Pioneer Rd	Suffolk	23437	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 925-5782	579	31	18.6	69.4%	324 (56.0%)	153 (26.4%)	53 (9.2%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.3%)	68.1	372^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	66.5%		64.8	423^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	61.9%	51	71.8	81.5	92.7		81.5	63.1	87.0	78.1		85.7		$7,804	$717	$7,087
Meherrin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	28600 Grays Shop Rd.	Newsoms	23874	Southampton County	Southampton County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 654-6461	218	21	10.5	89.0%	104 (47.7%)	97 (44.5%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	40.8	727^th of 1111 public elementary schools	34.6%		34.7	777^th of 1110 public elementary schools	30.0%	50	93.6	83.8	43.8		56.3	64.5	75.7	56.3			53.1	$10,071	$1,030	$9,041
Nottoway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13093 Ivor Rd.	Sedley	23878	Southampton County	Southampton County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 859-6539	235	16	14.9	91.5%	161 (68.5%)	53 (22.6%)	13 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	68.9	361^st of 1111 public elementary schools	67.5%		71.2	339^th of 1110 public elementary schools	69.5%	22	69.4	82.1	93.8		71.9	69.4	85.7	87.5			84.4	$8,372	$871	$7,501
Capron Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18414 Southampton Pky	Capron	23829	Southampton County	Southampton County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 658-4348	176	14	12.5	90.9%	112 (63.6%)	44 (25.0%)	10 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	6 (3.4%)	73.5	299^th of 1111 public elementary schools	73.1%		75.7	278^th of 1110 public elementary schools	75.0%	21	84.4	85.7	85.7		76.2	68.8	94.3	76.2			80.0	$8,523	$812	$7,711
Kilby Shores Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Kilby Shores Dr	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 934-6214	494	29	17.0	69.2%	179 (36.2%)	211 (42.7%)	52 (10.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	45 (9.1%)	39.6	738^th of 1111 public elementary schools	33.6%		52.1	573^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	48.4%	165	80.0	71.3	62.1		59.1	64.3	75.5	62.1		56.4		$9,375	$1,045	$8,330
Windsor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20008 Courthouse Hwy	Windsor	23487	Isle of Wight County	Isle of Wight County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 242-4193	624	46	13.6	72.0%	441 (70.7%)	91 (14.6%)	35 (5.6%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (8.3%)	67.9	374^th of 1111 public elementary schools	66.3%		67.4	388^th of 1110 public elementary schools	65.0%	14	88.2	76.4	83.0		85.0	75.3	77.3	77.0		71.3		$10,867	$1,032	$9,834
Elephant's Fork Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2316 William Reid Dr	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 923-5250	653	36	18.1	69.1%	140 (21.4%)	408 (62.5%)	56 (8.6%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.9%)	26.9	877^th of 1111 public elementary schools	21.1%		21.1	916^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.5%	39	72.9	60.2	43.4		49.1	64.7	69.9	63.2		59.2		$8,038	$1,038	$6,999

Frequently Asked Questions about S.P. Morton Elementary

What is the racial makeup of S.P. Morton Elementary?

Students at S.P. Morton Elementary are 75% African American, 14% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of S.P. Morton Elementary attend?

Students who attend S.P. Morton Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Franklin High

What district is S.P. Morton Elementary in?

Franklin City Public Schools

How many students attend S.P. Morton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 620 students attended S.P. Morton Elementary.

Is S.P. Morton Elementary a good school?

S.P. Morton Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.4% of Virginia elementary schools.

Rate S.P. Morton Elementary!

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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.