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Robert S. Payne Elementary

Q: Is Robert S. Payne Elementary a good school?

Robert S. Payne Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.2% of Virginia elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Robert S. Payne Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Robert S. Payne Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Robert S. Payne Elementary?

Students at Robert S. Payne Elementary are 64% African American, 18% White, 9% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

Q: What schools do graduates of Robert S. Payne Elementary attend?

Students who attend Robert S. Payne Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Sandusky Middle High : Heritage High

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1074^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Robert S. Payne Elementary is a public elementary school in Lynchburg, Virginia, serving 466 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Lynchburg City Public Schools district, which is ranked 118 out of 129 districts in the state.

Robert S. Payne Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Virginia elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a 0-1 star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance is particularly low for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the bottom 1-2% of Virginia elementary schools in this category. In contrast, the school's White student population performs relatively better, ranking in the top 40-50% of Virginia elementary schools. Robert S. Payne Elementary also experiences high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.7% to 27.0% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average.

Nearby Bedford Hills Elementary, Heritage Elementary, and Linkhorne Elementary generally perform better than Robert S. Payne Elementary on academic measures, with higher proficiency rates and better statewide rankings. However, these nearby schools also serve high-poverty student populations. The district's magnet schools, such as Dearington Elementary/Innovation and T.C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation, show stronger academic performance compared to Robert S. Payne Elementary, which may be due to their targeted, innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

435

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,579

Per pupil spending ?

97.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1201 Floyd St
Lynchburg, VA 24501-1913

(434) 515-5270

District: Lynchburg City Public Schools

Students who attend Robert S. Payne Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sandusky Middle
High:	Heritage High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

64.4%

White:

18.2%

Two or more races:

9.0%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Robert S. Payne Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 37th percentile in 2015 → 3rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (40% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (26% vs 15% Virginia)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg55%

Virginia avg71%

1,074^th of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 34 pts since 2015

From bottom 37% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Lynchburg City Public Schools

118^th of 129Lynchburg 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	4.8	1074 of 1110	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.1	1004 of 1114	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.3	1053 of 1114	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	803 of 1109	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.2	633 of 1103	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.5	728 of 1105	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.4	635 of 1097	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	51.1	604 of 1099	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.7	744 of 1096	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.9	692 of 1100	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	45.0	674 of 1110	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	56.9	489 of 1120	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	32.6	907 of 1117	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	35.3	869 of 1117	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.7	943 of 1113	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	51.2	579 of 1082	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.1	689 of 1081	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.7	540 of 1083	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.1	535 of 1071	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	47.8	614 of 1062	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	1.1	579 of 579	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.1	588 of 588	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.4	578 of 579	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	8.8	1032 of 1096	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	1025 of 1098	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.3	1048 of 1100	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	2.7	1045 of 1046	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.0	1026 of 1036	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	7.4	1043 of 1093	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	980 of 1101	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.1	1039 of 1093	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	59.0	426 of 973	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.7	268 of 979	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	61.0	399 of 984	59.5%	★★★☆☆

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)56th percentile+53 vs school

Female (2025)6th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)5th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)<1st percentile-3 vs school

African American (2025)<1st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

VA Studies46%-22 vs state

Science44%-25 vs state

English Reading44%-27 vs state

Mathematics31%-41 vs state

★

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Schools Near Robert S. Payne 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 (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
Robert S. Payne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Floyd St	Lynchburg	24501	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5270	435	33	13.1	97.2%	79 (18.2%)	280 (64.4%)	34 (7.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.0%)	4.8	1074^th of 1110 public elementary schools	3.2%		12.1	1004^th of 1114 public elementary schools	9.9%	70	45.1	18.8	22.0	43.6	35.2	50.0	46.3	46.2	$9,579	$2,364	$7,215
Dearington Elementary/Innovation	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	210 Smyth St	Lynchburg	24501	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(434) 515-5220	180	19	9.4	98.3%	29 (16.1%)	117 (65.0%)	11 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (11.7%)	24.3	884^th of 1110 public elementary schools	20.4%		42.1	703^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	36.9%	181	39.4	62.5	65.0	75.0	45.5	56.3	65.0	59.4	$15,178	$2,100	$13,078
T.C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	600 Mansfield Ave	Lynchburg	24501	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(434) 515-5300	168	16	10.5	98.2%	46 (27.4%)	89 (53.0%)	9 (5.4%)	7 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.1%)	17.9	952^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	14.2%		24.5	906^th of 1114 public elementary schools	18.7%	46	50.0	60.0	46.9	53.1	40.0	63.3	62.5	58.6
William M. Bass Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1730 Seabury Ave	Lynchburg	24501	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5200	188	20	9.4	94.7%	43 (22.9%)	86 (45.7%)	21 (11.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (19.7%)	34.9	773^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	30.4%		47.7	644^th of 1114 public elementary schools	42.2%	129	67.7	56.0	67.9	78.6	61.8	54.2	66.7	48.0	$16,009	$3,045	$12,964
Madison Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	287 Learning Lane	Madison Heights	24572	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 846-2151	449	32	14.0	84.0%	218 (48.6%)	127 (28.3%)	47 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (12.5%)	24.1	886^th of 1110 public elementary schools	20.2%		27.7	868^th of 1114 public elementary schools	22.1%	18	57.9	52.6	66.1	67.9	56.1	56.1	66.1	27.3	$9,665	$1,688	$7,978
Perrymont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	409 Perrymont Ave	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5250	377	30	12.5	93.4%	95 (25.2%)	195 (51.7%)	32 (8.5%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (13.0%)	5.6	1068^th of 1110 public elementary schools	3.8%		17.1	967^th of 1114 public elementary schools	13.2%	101	57.9	46.3	46.8	31.9	34.2	52.5	41.3	23.1	$9,930	$1,503	$8,427
Linkhorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2501 Linkhorne Dr	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5240	378	33	11.4	97.1%	87 (23.0%)	221 (58.5%)	29 (7.7%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.8%)	9.6	1029^th of 1110 public elementary schools	7.3%		6.4	1064^th of 1114 public elementary schools	4.5%	35	57.6	42.6	29.2	30.8	55.9	61.1	35.9	44.2	$10,101	$1,795	$8,306
Sandusky Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5828 Apache Ln	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5280	316	24	13.1	93.4%	73 (23.1%)	161 (50.9%)	51 (16.1%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.9%)	37.4	746^th of 1110 public elementary schools	32.8%		30.3	839^th of 1114 public elementary schools	24.7%	93	63.5	66.7	68.8	64.6	61.5	66.7	68.1	62.2	$9,076	$1,666	$7,410
Sheffield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	115 Kenwood Place	Lynchburg	24502	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5290	443	36	12.3	92.8%	107 (24.2%)	202 (45.6%)	75 (16.9%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (11.7%)	22.2	899^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.0%		17.4	963^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	13.6%	64	54.7	63.4	59.2	47.9	54.0	59.5	61.4	67.4	$10,543	$1,578	$8,965
Bedford Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4330 Morningside Dr	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5210	402	31	12.9	98.0%	195 (48.5%)	124 (30.8%)	42 (10.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.5%)	36.6	750^th of 1110 public elementary schools	32.4%		22.9	921^st of 1114 public elementary schools	17.3%	171	80.0	60.0	45.1	64.7	73.5	62.5	70.6	56.9	$10,827	$1,504	$9,323

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert S. Payne Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Robert S. Payne Elementary?

Students at Robert S. Payne Elementary are 64% African American, 18% White, 9% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What district is Robert S. Payne Elementary in?

Lynchburg City Public Schools

How many students attend Robert S. Payne Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Robert S. Payne Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Robert S. Payne Elementary attend?

Students who attend Robert S. Payne Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sandusky Middle
High : Heritage High

Is Robert S. Payne Elementary a good school?

Robert S. Payne Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.2% of Virginia elementary schools.

Rate Robert S. Payne Elementary!

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2025

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.