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Keister Elementary

Q: Is Keister Elementary a good school?

Keister Elementary ranks 794 th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

794^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Keister Elementary is a public elementary school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, serving 496 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Harrisonburg City Public Schools district, which is ranked 123 out of 129 districts in the state.

Keister Elementary stands out among its peers in the district, consistently performing better than the district and state averages on Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments in mathematics, science, and English reading. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Keister's 3rd-grade mathematics proficiency rate was 67.16%, compared to the district's 52.29% and the state's 72.89%. However, the school's Hispanic, English Language Learner, and low-income students perform significantly below the state average. Keister also faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 10.5% to 21.6% over the past few years.

When compared to nearby schools, Keister Elementary's academic performance is generally better than other Harrisonburg City Public Schools, such as Smithland Elementary and Stone Spring Elementary. However, its performance is more mixed when compared to schools in the neighboring Rockingham County Public Schools district, such as Linville-Edom Elementary and Peak View Elementary.

475

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,800

Per pupil spending ?

85.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 Maryland Avenue
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

(540) 434-6585

District: Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Students who attend Keister Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Thomas Harrison Middle
High:	Harrisonburg High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.6%

White:

35.8%

African American:

9.9%

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Compare Keister Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 2nd percentile in 2019 → 28th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 28th (2025) from a 2nd-percentile low (2019)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (63% vs 71% meeting standards)

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

!English Reading scores 11 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school63%

District avg51%

Virginia avg71%

794^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 21 pts since 2015

From bottom 49% (2015) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools

123^rd of 129Harrisonburg 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
2025	33.4	794 of 1110	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.6	814 of 1114	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.3	894 of 1114	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	929 of 1109	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.3	973 of 1103	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	3.6	1083 of 1105	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	940 of 1097	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.7	844 of 1099	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	46.5	681 of 1096	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	55.0	561 of 1100	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	56.1	507 of 1110	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.5	454 of 1120	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.9	447 of 1117	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	37.9	836 of 1117	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	65.5	358 of 1113	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	34.5	867 of 1082	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	56.2	506 of 1081	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	26.2	944 of 1083	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	42.2	737 of 1071	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	44.8	660 of 1062	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	28.0	248 of 326	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	251 of 306	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	283 of 300	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	870 of 1096	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.1	788 of 1098	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	822 of 1100	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	22.6	508 of 606	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	480 of 580	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.1	529 of 564	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	17.4	947 of 1046	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.0	921 of 1036	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	41.2	702 of 1093	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.4	843 of 1101	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	954 of 1093	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	71.2	263 of 973	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	48.4	579 of 979	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.9	519 of 984	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2025)73rd percentile+45 vs school

Male (2025)36th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)24th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2025)21st percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)16th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Science67%~ state avg

Mathematics67%-6 vs state

VA Studies61%-7 vs state

English Reading60%-11 vs state

2.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, October 19, 2019

You will notice that there are roughly 40 percent Latino students and 40 percent white students at this school. Even with such a high percentage of Latino students, this school has not and currently does not, offer Spanish as a "special"/elective that students can take. To me Spanish, because of the changing ethnicity of Harrisonburg should be offered to students who do not speak Spanish. Also while most teachers and staff are kind, expectations for students are average at best. Close Quote

Schools Near Keister Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Mathematics (2025)			SOL Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)			SOL VA Studies (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Keister Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Maryland Avenue	Harrisonburg	22801	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 434-6585	475	32	14.8	85.1%	170 (35.8%)	47 (9.9%)	231 (48.6%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.8%)	33.4	794^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.5%		31.6	814^th of 1114 public elementary schools	26.9%	20	67.2	71.9	59.4	66.7	54.6	62.9	61.2	61.1	$9,800	$1,498	$8,302
Spotswood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Mountain View Drive	Harrisonburg	22801	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 434-3429	468	33	14.1	83.8%	121 (25.9%)	34 (7.3%)	269 (57.5%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.7%)	15.3	978^th of 1110 public elementary schools	11.9%		6.1	1067^th of 1114 public elementary schools	4.2%	89	57.9	54.7	61.2	56.7	55.9	44.6	52.5	18.5	$11,412	$2,079	$9,333
Waterman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	451 Chicago Ave	Harrisonburg	22802	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 434-8352	557	38	14.6	87.1%	105 (18.9%)	48 (8.6%)	366 (65.7%)	9 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.0%)	7.4	1049^th of 1110 public elementary schools	5.5%		10	1025^th of 1114 public elementary schools	8.0%	24	43.0	44.8	52.2	55.6	36.1	40.7	50.0	39.8	$10,139	$1,232	$8,907
Bluestone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	750 Garbers Church Road	Harrisonburg	22801	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 432-3232	566	39	14.5	85.0%	186 (32.9%)	69 (12.2%)	263 (46.5%)	17 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.5%)	17.9	951^st of 1110 public elementary schools	14.3%		10.8	1017^th of 1114 public elementary schools	8.7%	66	60.6	57.1	63.8	61.3	48.2	58.0	48.8	36.1	$10,581	$1,153	$9,428
Stone Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1575 Peach Grove Ave	Harrisonburg	22801	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 574-1199	554	38	14.7	84.8%	141 (25.5%)	89 (16.1%)	280 (50.5%)	13 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.4%)	7.6	1047^th of 1110 public elementary schools	5.7%		6.8	1061^st of 1114 public elementary schools	4.8%	14	35.4	53.0	52.3	47.7	31.1	47.5	41.9	51.7	$10,309	$1,276	$9,034
Mountain View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2800 Rawley Pike	Harrisonburg	22801	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 438-1965	411	30	13.7	63.7%	246 (59.9%)	18 (4.4%)	112 (27.3%)	19 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.6%)	20.3	925^th of 1110 public elementary schools	16.7%		11.4	1011^th of 1114 public elementary schools	9.2%	86	56.9	55.6	63.4	64.8	54.9	54.3	52.2	43.8	$10,146	$439	$9,706
Smithland Elementary	Public	K-5	474 Linda Lane	Harrisonburg	22802	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 434-6075	514	39	13.1	110.3%	112 (21.8%)	46 (8.9%)	321 (62.5%)	18 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.1%)	11.5	1013^th of 1110 public elementary schools	8.7%		14.2	986^th of 1114 public elementary schools	11.5%	27	52.2	62.5	54.7	46.9	47.8	50.5	40.3	39.4	$10,646	$1,165	$9,481
Pleasant Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	215 Pleasant Valley Rd	Harrisonburg	22801	Harrisonburg city	Rockingham County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 434-4557	282	20	14.1	74.8%	150 (53.2%)	21 (7.4%)	90 (31.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.7%)	21.7	907^th of 1110 public elementary schools	18.3%		28.3	861^st of 1114 public elementary schools	22.7%	46	55.6	65.9	59.3	55.9	50.0	64.1	49.1	64.7	$10,797	$1,033	$9,764
John W. Wayland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	801 North Main St	Bridgewater	22812	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 828-6081	526	33	15.9	42.4%	378 (71.9%)	12 (2.3%)	98 (18.6%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.1%)	46.2	652^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	41.3%		37.9	750^th of 1114 public elementary schools	32.7%	98	67.8	75.4	64.6	73.4	60.0	76.2	57.9	82.3	$10,163	$370	$9,793
Linville-Edom Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3653 Linville-Edom Rd	Linville	22834	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 833-6916	209	15	14.1	63.2%	164 (78.5%)	1 (0.5%)	38 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	32.5	806^th of 1110 public elementary schools	27.4%		43.9	680^th of 1114 public elementary schools	39.0%	126	70.6	48.5	60.6	72.7	52.9	56.3	71.9	61.3	$10,895	$4,407	$6,488

Frequently Asked Questions about Keister Elementary

What district is Keister Elementary in?

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Is Keister Elementary a good school?

Keister Elementary ranks 794^th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Keister Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 475 students attended Keister Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Keister Elementary attend?

Students who attend Keister Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thomas Harrison Middle
High : Harrisonburg High

What is the racial makeup of Keister Elementary?

Students at Keister Elementary are 49% Hispanic, 36% White, 10% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Schools in Harrisonburg, VA

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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.