Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Sterling Elementary

Q: Is Sterling Elementary a good school?

Sterling Elementary ranks 755 th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

755^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Sterling Elementary is a public elementary school in Sterling, Virginia, serving 418 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools district, which is ranked 19 out of 129 school districts in Virginia and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the district's strong performance, Sterling Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Virginia elementary schools, with a 1-star or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past 10 years. The school's academic performance, as measured by SOL test scores, is generally below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. However, the school's per-student spending of $17,579 in 2020-2021 was higher than the state average and the spending at many nearby schools, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may be contributing to the school's challenges.

Interestingly, nearby schools in the Loudoun County Public Schools district, such as Meadowland Elementary, Potowmack Elementary, and Sugarland Elementary, generally perform better than Sterling Elementary across various metrics, including statewide rankings, academic performance, and student group outcomes. This suggests that a deeper analysis of Sterling Elementary's instructional practices, curriculum, and school climate may be necessary to identify the root causes of the school's challenges and develop targeted interventions to improve student outcomes.

430

Students ?

9.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,283

Per pupil spending ?

99.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 W Church Rd
Sterling, VA 20164

(571) 434-4580

District: Loudoun County Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

64.4%

Asian:

13.5%

White:

10.9%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Sterling Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 20th percentile in 2015 → 32nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (64% vs 71% meeting standards)

!English Reading scores 12 pts below the Virginia average

!Near the bottom of Loudoun County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school64%

District avg80%

Virginia avg71%

755^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

55^th of 61Elementary Schools in the Loudoun County Public Schools

19^th of 129Loudoun 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
2025	36.1	755 of 1110	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.9	791 of 1114	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	860 of 1114	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	932 of 1109	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	930 of 1103	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.4	887 of 1105	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.4	977 of 1097	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	42.9	718 of 1099	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	30.0	880 of 1096	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.8	884 of 1100	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	23.0	979 of 1110	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.2	784 of 1120	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	31.5	920 of 1117	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	24.2	1005 of 1117	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.8	814 of 1113	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	43.8	728 of 1082	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.5	681 of 1081	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	32.8	870 of 1083	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	30.5	892 of 1071	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	21.8	946 of 1062	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	181 of 249	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.4	170 of 238	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	38.6	201 of 326	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.8	191 of 306	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.2	213 of 300	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	27.7	855 of 1096	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	868 of 1098	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.4	862 of 1100	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	35.4	424 of 606	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.8	456 of 580	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	469 of 564	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	27.8	816 of 1046	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	818 of 1036	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	44.0	659 of 1093	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	719 of 1101	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	803 of 1093	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	34.4	720 of 973	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	56.3	475 of 979	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	333 of 984	66.2%	★★★☆☆

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 (2025)40th percentile+8 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)38th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)30th percentile~ school

Asian (2025)27th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)26th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)22nd percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)22nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

VA Studies70%~ state avg

Mathematics68%-4 vs state

Science64%-4 vs state

English Reading59%-12 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

Rate Sterling Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, August 29, 2013

My experience with the teachers I would grade a B+. My son loved both his kindergarten and his first grade teachers. I believe they were dedicated to the students and genuinely enjoy the children. They integrate technology and variety into the classrooms very well. My son was reading after the first few months in first grade. His math took off at the end of the first grade. My only constructive criticism is that both teachers sometimes forgot to email me back when I had questions or wanted to come into the classroom to help my son on occasion. I think they are very busy and, had my issues been more pressing, I could have pursued it successfully with them had I needed to.

The biggest RED FLAG parents need to know about this school I have just now run into this year. I requested the same kindergarten teacher for my daughter that my son had. I liked her and I already had an established relationship with her. It was comforting to know my daughter would be in the same class as her brother had been, for both her and me. I was shocked when a week before school I receive notice that my daughter was not assigned the teacher I requested. I went to the principal and was informed that parents are not allowed to request a particular teacher for their child. Particularly concerning the principal said THE SCHOOL KNOWS BEST WHAT TEACHER MY CHILD NEEDS. I feel the need to capitalize this. My daughter is going into kindergarten. They don't even know her. This is my child and I feel that the school is attempting to limit the power of the parent in directing their own child's education. This is wrong.

The reasoning? It is very hard for the unions to give 2.5% across the board raises if too many parents request a particular teacher. It is informal parental evaluations of the teachers, which, currently are not allowed. I feel disempowered and helpless as a parent. Worse, this most definitely negatively impacted my relationship with the school. When you have no trust as a parent, it is even harder to let your child go into school every day. This policy is wrong and I will be fighting it this year. If you are a parent reading this and want to help, email me at [email protected]. This is OUR children and they are worth the fight. We, as parents, deserve a say in who educates our children and information about the teachers who have them in their care 5 days a week up to 7 hours a day. Thank you. Tristan Close Quote

Schools Near Sterling Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (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 Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sterling Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 W Church Rd	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(571) 434-4580	430	45	9.6	99.3%	47 (10.9%)	29 (6.7%)	277 (64.4%)	58 (13.5%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	14 (3.3%)	36.1	755^th of 1110 public elementary schools	32.0%		33.9	791^st of 1114 public elementary schools	29.0%	36	75.4	57.1	72.4		64.5	56.5	50.0	68.5		70.4	$20,283	$515	$19,768
Sully Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Circle Dr	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(571) 434-4570	476	52	9.0	99.4%	22 (4.6%)	16 (3.4%)	407 (85.5%)	26 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	3.4	1088^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.0%		4.5	1086^th of 1114 public elementary schools	2.5%	2	45.7	36.4	46.3		32.9	38.2	35.1	36.6		50.0	$21,249	$900	$20,349
Guilford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 W Poplar Rd	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(571) 434-4550	504	54	9.3	99.4%	22 (4.4%)	23 (4.6%)	412 (81.7%)	37 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	3.8	1080^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.7%		2.5	1105^th of 1114 public elementary schools	0.8%	25	32.6	54.7	28.4		29.6	25.0	46.4	38.6		57.9	$18,499	$459	$18,040
Rolling Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 E Frederick Dr	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(571) 434-4540	562	55	10.2	99.5%	91 (16.2%)	42 (7.5%)	343 (61.0%)	69 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (2.7%)	12.3	1006^th of 1110 public elementary schools	9.4%		25.7	889^th of 1114 public elementary schools	20.2%	117	54.6	54.0	50.0		42.4	44.4	56.0	48.5		68.8	$20,792	$530	$20,262
Dranesville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1515 Powells Tavern Pl	Herndon	20170	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(703) 326-5200	610	48	12.8	47.4%	236 (38.7%)	28 (4.6%)	279 (45.7%)	31 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.9%)	39.2	727^th of 1110 public elementary schools	34.5%		39.2	735^th of 1114 public elementary schools	34.0%	8	66.7	67.1	32.0	61.4	58.2	70.0	70.9	65.4	75.6		$14,283	$354	$13,930
Forest Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	46245 Forest Ridge Dr.	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 434-4560	529	55	9.6	99.4%	80 (15.1%)	22 (4.2%)	355 (67.1%)	56 (10.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)	18.1	948^th of 1110 public elementary schools	14.6%		19	946^th of 1114 public elementary schools	15.1%	2	63.8	50.6	55.0		57.0	51.3	54.3	50.0		65.8	$21,258	$1,078	$20,180
Clearview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	12635 Builders Rd	Herndon	20170	Fairfax County	Fairfax County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(703) 708-6000	580	50	11.4	60.2%	154 (26.6%)	37 (6.4%)	325 (56.0%)	40 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.8%)	36.3	752^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	32.3%		44.1	678^th of 1114 public elementary schools	39.1%	74	50.6	70.8	53.1	61.4	72.6	47.7	63.9	70.2	77.2		$15,631	$1,241	$14,391
Potowmack Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	46465 Esterbrook Pkwy	Sterling	20165	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 434-3270	568	52	10.8	85.2%	147 (25.9%)	49 (8.6%)	278 (48.9%)	55 (9.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.3%)	40.4	716^th of 1110 public elementary schools	35.5%		33	804^th of 1114 public elementary schools	27.8%	88	85.1	73.0	64.8		60.7	68.8	60.0	56.8		68.9	$22,049	$262	$21,788
Sugarland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	65 Sugarland Run Dr	Sterling	20164	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(571) 434-4460	502	54	9.3	100.8%	46 (9.2%)	36 (7.2%)	342 (68.1%)	59 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.4%)	29.6	832^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	25.0%		31.3	820^th of 1114 public elementary schools	26.4%	12	66.3	69.6	58.8		60.0	49.4	56.4	56.0		86.0	$23,097	$861	$22,237
Countryside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20624 Countryside Blvd.	Sterling	20165	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 434-3250	648	57	11.2	51.4%	231 (35.6%)	79 (12.2%)	218 (33.6%)	79 (12.2%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (5.6%)	47.8	629^th of 1110 public elementary schools	43.3%		55.3	553^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	50.4%	76	70.4	61.8	82.8		78.8	62.6	62.4	68.4		74.4	$17,495	$561	$16,934

Frequently Asked Questions about Sterling Elementary

How many students attend Sterling Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 430 students attended Sterling Elementary.

What district is Sterling Elementary in?

Loudoun County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Sterling Elementary?

Students at Sterling Elementary are 64% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 11% White, 7% African American, 3% Two or more races.

Is Sterling Elementary a good school?

Sterling Elementary ranks 755^th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Sterling Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia Elementary School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Sterling, VA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Sterling Elementary!

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.