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Lee M. Waid Elementary

Q: Is Lee M. Waid Elementary a good school?

Lee M. Waid Elementary ranks 258 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

258^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Lee M. Waid Elementary is a PK–5 school in Rocky Mount, VA, serving 386 students as part of Franklin County Public Schools, and has earned a 4-star rating and a top-quartile statewide ranking. The school has climbed from around the statewide median a decade ago to the 77th–82nd percentile in recent years, currently ranking 258th of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools for 2025–2026. This improvement is especially striking given that 85.5% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, a rate that has risen in recent years while outcomes have stayed strong.

The school’s defining strength is its exceptional results for students who are often underserved. Economically disadvantaged students rank in the 94th–96th percentile statewide, and African American students rank in the 91st–98th percentile, both earning 5-star ratings. By comparison, nearby schools with similar poverty levels lag behind: Rocky Mount Elementary, just 1.8 miles away, ranks in the 36th percentile despite a lower student-teacher ratio, and Boones Mill Elementary sits in the 46th percentile. Even Clearbrook Elementary, a much wealthier school in Roanoke County, ranks below Lee M. Waid despite spending nearly the same per pupil.

Chronic absenteeism has dropped from 22.8% in 2020–2021 to just 10.1% in 2024–2025, well below district and state averages, and attendance gains have coincided with the school’s academic rise. The clearest area for growth is 5th grade, where scores in math, reading, and science trail the school’s otherwise strong 3rd and 4th grade results. There is also a shifting gender pattern: boys now rank higher than girls statewide, reversing the prior year’s trend. Still, Lee M. Waid remains an example of a high-poverty school achieving meaningful equity in outcomes, with top-quartile overall performance and standout success for its lowest-income students.

386

Students ?

10.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,270

Per pupil spending ?

85.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

540 E Court Street
Rocky Mount, VA 24151

(540) 483-5736

District: Franklin County Public Schools

Students who attend Lee M. Waid Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Benjamin Franklin Middle
High:	Franklin County High

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.4%

Two or more races:

17.1%

African American:

15.3%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Lee M. Waid Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 82nd percentile in 2025 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (84% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Virginia elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 82nd-percentile peak (2025) to 77th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school84%

District avg78%

Virginia avg72%

258^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 25 pts since 2016

From top 49% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 10Elementary Schools in the Franklin County Public Schools

38^th of 131Franklin 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	76.8	258 of 1111	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.1	195 of 1110	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.9	258 of 1114	76.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.2	204 of 1114	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	72.0	316 of 1109	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	52.8	552 of 1103	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.2	601 of 1105	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.4	553 of 1097	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	66.8	352 of 1099	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.0	533 of 1096	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	57.3	530 of 1100	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.4	486 of 1110	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.5	404 of 1120	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	78.1	161 of 1117	85.6%	★★★★☆
2011	84.4	55 of 1117	95.1%	★★★★★
2010	79.4	105 of 1113	90.6%	★★★★★
2009	74.6	204 of 1082	81.1%	★★★★☆
2008	72.1	242 of 1081	77.6%	★★★★☆
2007	75.8	182 of 1083	83.2%	★★★★☆
2006	64.6	356 of 1071	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	53.2	535 of 1062	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	53 of 591	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	80.7	76 of 588	87.1%	★★★★☆
2023	94.0	13 of 579	97.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.0	326 of 1100	70.4%	★★★★☆
2025	76.0	256 of 1096	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	163 of 1098	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	81.8	150 of 1100	86.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	76.3	120 of 606	80.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	86.3	63 of 1040	93.9%	★★★★★
2025	89.3	44 of 1046	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	82.7	90 of 1036	91.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	77.2	225 of 1099	79.5%	★★★★☆
2025	81.6	180 of 1093	83.5%	★★★★☆
2024	66.7	381 of 1101	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.6	282 of 1093	74.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	61.5	398 of 974	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.2	362 of 973	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.3	303 of 979	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	289 of 984	70.6%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)94th percentile+17 vs school

African American (2026)91st percentile+14 vs school

Hispanic (2025)80th percentile~ school

Male (2026)80th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)70th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)59th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies95%+24 vs state

Mathematics89%+16 vs state

Science78%+9 vs state

English Reading76%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lee M. Waid 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 Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lee M. Waid Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	540 E Court Street	Rocky Mount	24151	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 483-5736	386	36	10.6	85.5%	206 (53.4%)	59 (15.3%)	52 (13.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (17.1%)	76.8	258^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.8%		81.1	195^th of 1110 public elementary schools	82.4%	63	89.8	94.7	82.2	77.8	72.9	82.5	73.3	94.7	$10,270	$1,568	$8,701
Rocky Mount Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	555 School Board Rd	Rocky Mount	24151	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 483-5040	296	35	8.3	87.5%	151 (51.0%)	49 (16.6%)	43 (14.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (17.2%)	42	710^th of 1111 public elementary schools	36.1%		51.2	585^th of 1110 public elementary schools	47.3%	125	62.3	80.5	72.4	72.4	62.3	65.9	69.0	65.9	$10,499	$1,600	$8,900
Sontag Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3101 Sontag Rd	Rocky Mount	24151	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 483-5667	248	26	9.4	87.5%	149 (60.1%)	24 (9.7%)	33 (13.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (16.5%)	60.1	475^th of 1111 public elementary schools	57.2%		46.9	641^st of 1110 public elementary schools	42.3%	166	70.0	92.7	93.9	66.7	60.0	75.6	75.8	73.2	$10,424	$1,585	$8,840
Boones Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	265 Taylors Rd	Boones Mill	24065	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 334-4000	290	21	14.0	85.5%	244 (84.1%)	5 (1.7%)	20 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.2%)	51.2	598^th of 1111 public elementary schools	46.2%		45.8	659^th of 1110 public elementary schools	40.6%	61	87.2	83.0	74.4	59.0	72.3	67.9	64.1	64.2	$10,431	$1,581	$8,850
Glade Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8081 Old Franklin Turnpike	Glade Hill	24092	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 576-3010	227	22	10.5	87.2%	175 (77.1%)	11 (4.8%)	27 (11.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.8%)	57.3	516^th of 1111 public elementary schools	53.6%		60.9	465^th of 1110 public elementary schools	58.1%	51	64.3	64.9	100.0	80.0	67.9	77.8	76.7	73.0	$48	$00	$48
Dudley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7250 Brooks Mill Rd	Wirtz	24184	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 721-2621	317	26	12.2	88.0%	261 (82.3%)	8 (2.5%)	16 (5.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.1%)	66	399^th of 1111 public elementary schools	64.1%		58.5	498^th of 1110 public elementary schools	55.1%	99	66.7	89.1	80.0	81.7	54.2	84.8	80.0	93.5	$10,451	$1,584	$8,867
Callaway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8451 Callaway Rd	Callaway	24067	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 483-0364	185	18	10.1	88.1%	150 (81.1%)	1 (0.5%)	15 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (10.3%)	78.3	224^th of 1111 public elementary schools	79.8%		88.8	66^th of 1110 public elementary schools	94.1%	158	94.3	88.1	81.5	77.8	74.3	81.0	85.2	88.1	$10,372	$1,566	$8,806
Ferrum Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	660 Ferrum Rd	Ferrum	24088	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 365-7194	281	22	12.7	89.0%	233 (82.9%)	16 (5.7%)	13 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.4%)	58.7	496^th of 1111 public elementary schools	55.4%		63.2	441^st of 1110 public elementary schools	60.3%	55	73.9	73.9	80.8	86.5	63.0	76.1	78.9	65.2	$10,221	$1,583	$8,638
Windy Gap Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	465 Truman Hill Road	Hardy	24101	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 719-2809	391	26	15.0	87.0%	323 (82.6%)	14 (3.6%)	20 (5.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.9%)	79.3	209^th of 1111 public elementary schools	81.2%		72.6	314^th of 1110 public elementary schools	71.7%	105	89.1	77.9	97.9	95.8	80.0	75.0	91.7	88.2	$10,283	$1,559	$8,723
Snow Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5393 Snow Creek Rd	Penhook	24137	Franklin County	Franklin County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 483-5599	226	20	11.3	86.7%	169 (74.8%)	15 (6.6%)	10 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (14.2%)	71.5	328^th of 1111 public elementary schools	70.5%		78.8	236^th of 1110 public elementary schools	78.7%	92	85.7	75.8	87.9	70.6	80.0	81.8	79.4	81.8	$10,356	$1,572	$8,785

Frequently Asked Questions about Lee M. Waid Elementary

How many students attend Lee M. Waid Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 386 students attended Lee M. Waid Elementary.

Is Lee M. Waid Elementary a good school?

Lee M. Waid Elementary ranks 258^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Lee M. Waid Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lee M. Waid Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Benjamin Franklin Middle
High : Franklin County High

What district is Lee M. Waid Elementary in?

Franklin County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Lee M. Waid Elementary?

Students at Lee M. Waid Elementary are 53% White, 17% Two or more races, 15% African American, 13% Hispanic.

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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.