Stonewall Elementary

Stonewall Elementary is a PK–5 school in Clear Brook, Virginia, serving 391 students as part of Frederick County Public Schools, a district ranked in the bottom fifth of Virginia districts. The school holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 25th percentile of Virginia elementary schools, and it has the highest poverty rate among its Frederick County peers—77.2% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Despite this, chronic absenteeism is a clear bright spot: at 10.6% in 2024–25, it is the lowest among local comparison schools and well below both the district rate of 16.0% and the state rate of 14.8%.

Stonewall has some distinctive strengths. Its best subject is Virginia Studies, where 82.14% of 5th graders were proficient in 2025–26, far exceeding district and state averages. The school also shows notably stronger outcomes for its economically disadvantaged students (38th percentile) and Hispanic students (32nd percentile) than for its White students (13th percentile). Stonewall outperforms some nearby schools with lower poverty rates, including Gainesboro Elementary and Redbud Run Elementary, and ranks close to Apple Pie Ridge Elementary despite facing higher poverty levels.

The main concern is a sharp academic decline in the upper grades. Reading proficiency falls from 64.71% in 3rd grade to 47.69% in 5th grade—24.7 points below the state—and math and science follow a similar pattern, with 5th-grade science at just 44.62% proficiency versus 68.75% statewide. Stonewall spends $12,421 per student, more than higher-performing neighbors like Greenwood Mill Elementary ($9,672) and Jordan Springs Elementary ($11,050), but less than higher-poverty Winchester schools like Frederick Douglass Elementary and Garland R. Quarles Elementary, which generally outperform it. With strong attendance and promising equity results, Stonewall has a solid foundation, but addressing the 5th-grade drop-off is the most urgent priority.