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Dearington Elementary/Innovation

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

1093^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Dearington Elementary/Innovation is a small PK-5 school in Lynchburg, VA, serving 180 students in one of the city's highest-poverty neighborhoods, where 98.33% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch. The school is currently ranked 1,093rd out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools, placing it in the 2nd percentile statewide — a dramatic fall from its mid-pack ranking just two years ago.

The school spends about $15,178 per student, among the highest in the surrounding area, and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 9.4. Yet every SOL proficiency rate is below both the Lynchburg City Public Schools district average and the state average. The contrast with Paul Munro Elementary, just 3.5 miles away, is stark: it serves a nearly identical poverty rate (97.19%) but ranks in the 54th percentile statewide, spends about $8,460 per student, and posted dramatically higher SOL scores in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade math and reading.

The decline has been steep and broad. In 2022-23, the school ranked in the 55th percentile; by 2025-26 it had fallen to the 2nd percentile. Fourth grade math proficiency dropped from 86.96% in 2022-23 to 37.84% in 2025-26, and 4th grade reading fell from 78.26% to 32.43% over the same period. Chronic absenteeism, which had improved to 13.7% in 2023-24, jumped back up to 21.5% in 2024-25. While the school's small enrollment means year-to-year swings can be volatile, the consistency of the declines across multiple grades and subjects suggests school-wide challenges rather than a single difficult cohort.

180

Students ?

9.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,178

Per pupil spending ?

98.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

210 Smyth St
Lynchburg, VA 24501-1539

(434) 515-5220

District: Lynchburg City Public Schools

Students who attend Dearington Elementary/Innovation usually attend:

Middle:	Linkhorne Middle
High:	E.C. Glass High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.0%

White:

16.1%

Two or more races:

11.7%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Dearington Elementary/Innovation to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2016 → 2nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (39% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg54%

Virginia avg72%

1,093^rd of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Lynchburg City Public Schools

126^th of 131Lynchburg 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
2026	2.7	1093 of 1111	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	24.3	884 of 1110	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.1	703 of 1114	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.6	498 of 1114	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.8	764 of 1109	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	9.4	1016 of 1103	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	1027 of 1105	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	35.7	816 of 1097	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.2	940 of 1099	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.3	959 of 1096	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	0.4	1098 of 1100	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	3.3	1099 of 1110	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	8.9	1085 of 1120	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	22.9	1003 of 1117	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	51.6	609 of 1117	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.9	767 of 1113	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.7	533 of 1082	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	29.7	901 of 1081	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	21.1	986 of 1083	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	36.0	821 of 1071	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	58.9	448 of 1062	57.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	4.2	585 of 591	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	30.2	455 of 579	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.9	245 of 588	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	80.6	78 of 579	86.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	7.6	1052 of 1100	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	30.7	822 of 1096	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.4	764 of 1098	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.9	597 of 1100	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	5.2	1027 of 1040	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	37.2	711 of 1046	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.9	491 of 1036	52.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	1.6	1088 of 1099	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.9	956 of 1093	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.2	480 of 1101	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.5	244 of 1093	77.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2026)4th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)1st percentile~ school

African American (2026)1st percentile~ school

Male (2026)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies44%-26 vs state

Science42%-27 vs state

Mathematics39%-34 vs state

English Reading37%-35 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Great school with a staff that truly cares about the children. They are working hard for our kids. Close Quote

Schools Near Dearington Elementary/Innovation

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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)			SOL VA Studies (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	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	2.7	1093^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	1.6%		24.3	884^th of 1110 public elementary schools	20.4%	209	45.5	37.8	35.6	42.2	36.4	32.4	40.0	44.4	$15,178	$2,100	$13,078
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%)	3.6	1084^th of 1111 public elementary schools	2.4%		4.8	1074^th of 1110 public elementary schools	3.2%	10	44.1	21.2	22.5	41.4	36.8	53.0	47.1	43.1	$9,579	$2,364	$7,215
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%)	14.3	995^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.4%		9.6	1029^th of 1110 public elementary schools	7.3%	34	62.3	48.2	48.2	45.5	55.0	55.4	61.8	50.9	$10,101	$1,795	$8,306
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%)	5.1	1069^th of 1111 public elementary schools	3.8%		34.9	773^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	30.4%	296	51.3	38.6	54.6	45.5	48.7	43.9	36.4	34.6	$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%)	18.7	957^th of 1111 public elementary schools	13.9%		24.1	886^th of 1110 public elementary schools	20.2%	71	58.1	58.8	49.2	57.1	54.8	66.7	57.1	52.9	$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%)	4.9	1075^th of 1111 public elementary schools	3.2%		5.6	1068^th of 1110 public elementary schools	3.8%	7	44.9	53.9	42.9	21.4	42.9	46.2	50.0	44.4	$9,930	$1,503	$8,427
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%)	43.5	696^th of 1111 public elementary schools	37.4%		36.6	750^th of 1110 public elementary schools	32.4%	54	78.7	75.0	50.0	69.2	68.0	63.3	68.8	67.8	$10,827	$1,504	$9,323
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%)	19.9	944^th of 1111 public elementary schools	15.0%		37.4	746^th of 1110 public elementary schools	32.8%	198	66.7	61.5	55.1	51.0	49.2	60.0	64.6	50.8	$9,076	$1,666	$7,410
Paul Munro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4641 Locksview Rd	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5260	356	26	13.6	97.2%	173 (48.6%)	113 (31.7%)	34 (9.6%)	7 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.9%)	57.5	513^th of 1111 public elementary schools	53.8%		73.7	300^th of 1110 public elementary schools	73.0%	213	81.6	76.0	72.0	62.0	71.4	82.0	70.0	78.7	$8,460	$1,798	$6,661
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%)	20.2	938^th of 1111 public elementary schools	15.6%		22.2	899^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.0%	39	49.3	39.7	64.0	68.0	50.7	50.0	79.6	48.4	$10,543	$1,578	$8,965

Frequently Asked Questions about Dearington Elementary/Innovation

What is the racial makeup of Dearington Elementary/Innovation?

Students at Dearington Elementary/Innovation are 65% African American, 16% White, 12% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

Is Dearington Elementary/Innovation a good school?

Dearington Elementary/Innovation ranks in the bottom 1.6% of Virginia elementary schools.

What district is Dearington Elementary/Innovation in?

Lynchburg City Public Schools

How many students attend Dearington Elementary/Innovation?

In the 2024-25 school year, 180 students attended Dearington Elementary/Innovation.

What schools do graduates of Dearington Elementary/Innovation attend?

Students who attend Dearington Elementary/Innovation usually go on to attend:

Middle : Linkhorne Middle
High : E.C. Glass High

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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.