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Gayton Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

90^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Gayton Elementary, a PK–5 school in Henrico County Public Schools serving 605 students in Richmond, VA, is one of Virginia's consistently elite elementary schools, ranking #90 of 1,111 elementary schools statewide with a 5-star rating in 2025–26. Even though Henrico County Public Schools as a whole ranks in the 31st percentile statewide, Gayton has earned 5 stars every year for over a decade, with state rankings ranging from #5 in 2020–21 to #90 in 2025–26.

Academically, Gayton posts proficiency rates in the mid-80s to mid-90s across math, reading, and science — roughly 20 to 30 percentage points above district and state averages. For example, 5th grade reading proficiency is 90% at Gayton compared to just 51.7% at Ruby F. Carver Elementary, a neighboring school only miles away, and 3rd grade math stands at 93.3% versus 60.5% at Ruby Carver. Only nearby Pemberton Elementary and Nuckols Farm Elementary rank above Gayton in the most recent year, while other neighbors like Twin Hickory Elementary and David A. Kaechele Elementary also post strong results. Chronic absenteeism at Gayton is remarkably low at 4.2% in 2024–25, roughly one-third the district rate of 14.1%.

Perhaps most notably, Gayton delivers exceptional results for economically disadvantaged students — its low-income students rank in the 93rd percentile statewide, actually exceeding the school's overall ranking. Male students also perform exceptionally well, ranking in the 95th percentile. Gayton achieves these outcomes while spending less per student ($9,336) than many nearby high-performing schools and maintaining a higher student–teacher ratio of 16.8. While its ranking has cooled slightly from #18 in 2022–23 to #90 in 2025–26, the school remains firmly in the top 10% of Virginia elementary schools with no signs of academic or attendance decline.

605

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,336

Per pupil spending ?

15.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12481 Church Rd
Richmond, VA 23233

(804) 360-0820

District: Henrico County Public Schools

Students who attend Gayton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pocahontas Middle
High:	Mills E. Godwin High

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.4%

Asian:

9.6%

Hispanic:

6.6%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2016 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (89% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of Virginia elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Henrico County Public Schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school89%

District avg67%

Virginia avg72%

90^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 45Elementary Schools in the Henrico County Public Schools

90^th of 131Henrico 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	87.1	90 of 1111	91.9%	★★★★★
2025	87.6	82 of 1110	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	87.5	76 of 1114	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	93.2	18 of 1114	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	90.7	44 of 1109	96.0%	★★★★★
2021	95.0	5 of 1103	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	87.8	42 of 1105	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	88.8	42 of 1097	96.2%	★★★★★
2017	89.9	28 of 1099	97.5%	★★★★★
2016	83.1	99 of 1096	91.0%	★★★★★
2015	82.1	121 of 1100	89.0%	★★★★☆
2014	83.6	105 of 1110	90.5%	★★★★★
2013	87.2	57 of 1120	94.9%	★★★★★
2012	87.8	22 of 1117	98.0%	★★★★★
2011	81.7	94 of 1117	91.6%	★★★★★
2010	78.0	125 of 1113	88.8%	★★★★☆
2009	87.1	17 of 1082	98.4%	★★★★★
2008	84.0	47 of 1081	95.7%	★★★★★
2007	87.4	29 of 1083	97.3%	★★★★★
2006	88.6	15 of 1071	98.6%	★★★★★
2005	89.9	13 of 1062	98.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	90 of 246	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.7	67 of 249	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.2	78 of 238	67.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	81.4	164 of 1100	85.1%	★★★★☆
2025	82.0	155 of 1096	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	99 of 1098	91.0%	★★★★★
2023	90.8	31 of 1100	97.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	84.9	75 of 1040	92.8%	★★★★★
2025	82.9	105 of 1046	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	84.6	70 of 1036	93.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	88.3	56 of 1099	94.9%	★★★★★
2025	89.0	52 of 1093	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	86.6	80 of 1101	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	93.0	15 of 1093	98.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	74.6	206 of 974	78.9%	★★★★☆
2025	77.5	164 of 973	83.1%	★★★★☆
2024	75.7	184 of 979	81.2%	★★★★☆
2023	87.9	33 of 984	96.6%	★★★★★

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)

Male (2026)95th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)85th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)79th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2026)63rd percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics91%+17 vs state

English Reading88%+17 vs state

Science86%+17 vs state

3.3

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 24, 2017

We have had 3 different children in Gayton. The teachers are fantastic! They recently got a new principal and overall she is making some good changes to the school. The PTA does a great job with supplying the school with technology and is now working on play ground updates. The gifted program has been excellent for 2 of my children. One negative is that they do not have teachers in place if you are special needs. There are other elementary schools close by that do. We have enjoyed Gayton and would recommend it. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, May 20, 2012

Decent teachers, but a horrible principal and administration.

If you have a gifted child, look elsewhere. Heck, if you have a child that is anything other that absolutely average, this is not the place for you. The principal is unhelpful and unresponsive to the point that we had to bring in Henrico county officials to get our child the IEP he needed.

We were fought every step of the way, from the day we enrolled -- Principal Wingfield and her staff refused to provide the resources our son needed, and thus we essentially wasted a year while he complained about boredom and frustration... and, as we told Mrs. Wingfield, began to act out.

Gifted kids? Don't expect much in the way of decent education. Kids anywhere on the autism spectrum? Ditto. Kids with special needs? Forget it.

We've since moved to Pemberton, and it's night and day. Responsive staff, terrific principal who listens to us, great teachers. It's a shame we didn't know about it sooner. Until Peggy Wingfield and her administration is out of there, Gayton is a school to avoid. Close Quote

Schools Near Gayton 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)			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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gayton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12481 Church Rd	Richmond	23233	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 360-0820	605	36	16.8	15.5%	450 (74.4%)	23 (3.8%)	40 (6.6%)	58 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.6%)	87.1	90^th of 1111 public elementary schools	91.9%		87.6	82^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	92.6%	8	93.3	90.4	88.0	85.9	87.4	86.8	90.0	$9,336	$645	$8,691
Nuckols Farm Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12351 Graham Meadows Dr	Richmond	23233	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 364-0840	627	37	16.9	10.8%	395 (63.0%)	32 (5.1%)	39 (6.2%)	109 (17.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (7.7%)	87.1	89^th of 1111 public elementary schools	92.0%		91	36^th of 1110 public elementary schools	96.8%	53	90.3	93.4	88.8	85.4	85.8	92.5	85.2	$9,631	$869	$8,762
Short Pump Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3425 Pump Rd	Richmond	23233	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 360-0812	545	35	15.5	18.5%	257 (47.2%)	46 (8.4%)	42 (7.7%)	153 (28.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.4%)	78	232^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	79.1%		81	199^th of 1110 public elementary schools	82.1%	33	74.3	90.6	89.0	84.4	73.3	90.5	86.9	$9,937	$721	$9,216
Ruby F. Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Lauderdale Rd	Richmond	23233	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 750-2640	509	32	16.1	88.0%	220 (43.2%)	110 (21.6%)	92 (18.1%)	39 (7.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (8.8%)	27	875^th of 1111 public elementary schools	21.2%		47	638^th of 1110 public elementary schools	42.5%	237	60.5	76.3	62.4	58.1	58.7	61.6	51.7	$11,008	$540	$10,469
Colonial Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12101 Bacova Drive	Glen Allen	23059	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 364-0055	710	39	18.2	21.5%	105 (14.8%)	88 (12.4%)	55 (7.7%)	398 (56.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (8.9%)	76.6	263^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	76.3%		79.1	228^th of 1110 public elementary schools	79.5%	35	80.7	86.8	90.4	84.1	70.8	86.5	81.3	$9,286	$469	$8,817
Twin Hickory Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4900 Twin Hickory Lake Dr	Glen Allen	23059	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 360-4700	516	35	14.7	20.7%	139 (26.9%)	38 (7.4%)	31 (6.0%)	265 (51.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	39 (7.6%)	86.3	101^st of 1111 public elementary schools	90.9%		86.1	101^st of 1110 public elementary schools	90.9%		91.6	90.3	86.9	85.9	85.5	93.4	85.7	$10,605	$720	$9,885
Pinchbeck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1275 Gaskins Rd	Richmond	23233	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 750-2670	538	34	15.8	90.3%	273 (50.7%)	74 (13.8%)	113 (21.0%)	48 (8.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.4%)	61.3	460^th of 1111 public elementary schools	58.6%		54.5	544^th of 1110 public elementary schools	51.0%	84	71.3	78.7	79.0	79.0	66.0	80.8	81.6	$10,086	$745	$9,341
Pemberton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Pemberton Rd	Richmond	23233	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 750-2660	344	25	13.7	24.1%	252 (73.3%)	36 (10.5%)	25 (7.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.1%)	87.7	79^th of 1111 public elementary schools	92.9%		84.7	128^th of 1110 public elementary schools	88.5%	49	94.6	86.6	95.6	91.1	83.6	88.1	91.1	$13,232	$900	$12,333
Maybeury Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Maybeury Dr	Richmond	23229	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 750-2650	691	38	18.1	89.4%	379 (54.8%)	118 (17.1%)	118 (17.1%)	36 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.8%)	40.5	730^th of 1111 public elementary schools	34.3%		46.8	642^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	42.2%	88	67.7	61.4	70.9	67.9	66.3	68.0	71.6	$9,271	$551	$8,720
Springfield Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4301 Fort McHenry Pkwy	Glen Allen	23060	Henrico County	Henrico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 527-4630	652	39	16.7	90.5%	276 (42.3%)	98 (15.0%)	80 (12.3%)	143 (21.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.0%)	64.7	417^th of 1111 public elementary schools	62.5%		69.7	359^th of 1110 public elementary schools	67.7%	58	72.6	78.3	85.1	74.8	72.6	76.6	81.9	$9,815	$726	$9,090

Frequently Asked Questions about Gayton Elementary

How many students attend Gayton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 605 students attended Gayton Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Gayton Elementary?

Students at Gayton Elementary are 74% White, 10% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What schools do graduates of Gayton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Gayton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pocahontas Middle
High : Mills E. Godwin High

What district is Gayton Elementary in?

Henrico County Public Schools

Is Gayton Elementary a good school?

Yes. Gayton Elementary ranks in the top 8.1% of Virginia elementary schools.

Rate Gayton 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.