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Waterman Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1049^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Waterman Elementary is a public elementary school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, serving 559 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 and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Waterman Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Virginia elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments. The school's proficiency rates in mathematics and reading range from 36% to 52%, compared to the state averages of 67% to 73%. This academic struggle is compounded by high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 15.7% to 21.6% over the past few years. The school serves a high percentage of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with 81.75% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

While the nearby Stone Spring Elementary, Bluestone Elementary, and other Harrisonburg City schools also serve a high-needs student population, they generally outperform Waterman Elementary on academic measures. Interestingly, the schools in the neighboring Rockingham County Public Schools district tend to have higher proficiency rates and statewide rankings, despite serving a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

557

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,139

Per pupil spending ?

87.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

451 Chicago Ave
Harrisonburg, VA 22802

(540) 434-8352

District: Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Students who attend Waterman Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Thomas Harrison Middle
High:	Harrisonburg High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.7%

White:

18.9%

African American:

8.6%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2015 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (45% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

District avg51%

Virginia avg71%

1,049^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 41 pts since 2015

From bottom 46% (2015) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th 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	7.4	1049 of 1110	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	1025 of 1114	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.7	1073 of 1114	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.1	1054 of 1109	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.3	939 of 1103	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.8	881 of 1105	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.8	1006 of 1097	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	42.4	732 of 1099	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.3	684 of 1096	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	53.5	590 of 1100	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	45.6	666 of 1110	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	21.9	970 of 1120	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	56.2	509 of 1117	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.0	523 of 1117	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.9	432 of 1113	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	3.0	1076 of 1082	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	25.9	945 of 1081	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	34.2	847 of 1083	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	54.0	537 of 1071	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	49.6	581 of 1062	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	10.8	319 of 326	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.5	296 of 306	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.3	298 of 300	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	13.4	988 of 1096	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	1005 of 1098	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.5	1087 of 1100	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	10.6	577 of 606	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	542 of 580	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	563 of 564	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	16.7	953 of 1046	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	970 of 1036	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	3.9	1071 of 1093	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	1038 of 1101	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	995 of 1093	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	18.0	867 of 973	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	819 of 979	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	809 of 984	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)11th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)10th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)5th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)2nd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)2nd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Science56%-13 vs state

Mathematics47%-26 vs state

English Reading42%-29 vs state

VA Studies40%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Waterman 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterman Elementary

How many students attend Waterman Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 557 students attended Waterman Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Waterman Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waterman Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thomas Harrison Middle
High : Harrisonburg High

What is the racial makeup of Waterman Elementary?

Students at Waterman Elementary are 66% Hispanic, 19% White, 9% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Waterman Elementary a good school?

Waterman Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.5% of Virginia elementary schools.

What district is Waterman Elementary in?

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

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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.