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Falling Branch Elementary

Q: Is Falling Branch Elementary a good school?

Falling Branch Elementary ranks 568 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

568^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 49% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Falling Branch Elementary is a PK–5 school in Christiansburg, VA, serving 535 students and making it one of the larger elementary schools in Montgomery County Public Schools. The school currently ranks 568th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools — right at the statewide median — which marks a solid improvement from its 719th-place ranking the previous year.

Math is Falling Branch's strongest subject, with proficiency across grades 3–5 averaging about 78%, essentially matching the district average and beating the state average of 73%. Reading is the main weakness, with average proficiency around 69% compared with roughly 76% districtwide. What makes these results notable is the context: 88.6% of Falling Branch students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a much higher rate than many surrounding schools. Christiansburg Elementary, located just 2.5 miles away, has less than half the poverty rate (42.6%) yet essentially the same overall rank (570th vs. 568th). Falling Branch also dramatically outperforms Eastern Montgomery Elementary, a school with nearly identical poverty levels, which ranks 977th statewide.

There are several other bright spots. Chronic absenteeism has fallen from 16.6% to 9.5% over the past three years, well below district (13.6%) and state (14.8%) averages. The student-teacher ratio of 12.2 is favorable, and per-student spending of $10,611 exceeds several nearby schools. Low-income students have also shown dramatic improvement, jumping from the 19th to the 49th percentile in statewide subgroup rankings. The clearest opportunity for growth remains reading, where Falling Branch trails the district in every grade, with the largest gap in 5th grade (66.25% vs. 75.45%). Addressing reading proficiency will be key to moving the school into the upper half of Virginia elementary schools, but the school's improving rank, strong attendance, and gains for economically disadvantaged students all point in a positive direction.

535

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,611

Per pupil spending ?

88.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

735 Falling Branch Rd
Christiansburg, VA 24073

(540) 381-6145

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend Falling Branch Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Christiansburg Middle
High:	Christiansburg High

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.6%

Hispanic:

12.1%

Two or more races:

7.7%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Falling Branch Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg77%

Virginia avg72%

568^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools

51^st of 131Montgomery 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	54.3	568 of 1111	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.3	719 of 1110	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.8	643 of 1114	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.2	503 of 1114	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.1	387 of 1109	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.7	458 of 1103	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.8	460 of 1105	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.5	590 of 1097	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.4	641 of 1099	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	62.7	418 of 1096	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.1	466 of 1100	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	50.3	598 of 1110	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.6	635 of 1120	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.7	776 of 1117	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	39.1	814 of 1117	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.2	883 of 1113	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	54.0	529 of 1082	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	27.6	925 of 1081	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	29.2	912 of 1083	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	34.8	840 of 1071	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	26.3	908 of 1062	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	44.4	672 of 1100	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.4	748 of 1096	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.2	668 of 1098	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.1	562 of 1100	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	41.0	388 of 619	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.4	529 of 1040	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.9	849 of 1046	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.9	641 of 1036	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	60.2	457 of 1099	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.3	668 of 1093	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	623 of 1101	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.1	458 of 1093	58.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	720 of 974	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.4	811 of 973	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.2	752 of 979	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.8	653 of 984	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)58th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile~ school

Female (2026)39th percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)37th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)26th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics78%+5 vs state

VA Studies72%~ state avg

Science71%~ state avg

English Reading69%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Falling Branch 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)			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
Falling Branch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	735 Falling Branch Rd	Christiansburg	24073	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 381-6145	535	44	12.2	88.6%	394 (73.6%)	32 (6.0%)	65 (12.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.7%)	54.3	568^th of 1111 public elementary schools	48.9%		40.3	719^th of 1110 public elementary schools	35.2%	151	83.1	76.9	75.0	71.3	69.2	71.8	66.3	71.8	$10,611	$621	$9,990
Christiansburg Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	240 Betty Drive	Christiansburg	24073	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 382-5175	346	28	12.3	50.6%	241 (69.7%)	25 (7.2%)	36 (10.4%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (11.6%)								(n/a)									$10,152	$520	$9,633
Christiansburg Elementary	Public	3-5	160 Wades Lane	Christiansburg	24073	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 382-5172	401	31	12.9	42.6%	285 (71.1%)	32 (8.0%)	40 (10.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	39 (9.7%)	54.1	570^th of 1111 public elementary schools	48.7%		59.8	476^th of 1110 public elementary schools	57.1%	94	71.3	75.4	72.1	70.1	69.3	77.1	71.4	75.6	$9,830	$947	$8,882
Auburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1760 Auburn School Dr.	Riner	24149	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 381-6521	544	41	13.3	47.4%	489 (89.9%)	5 (0.9%)	19 (3.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.0%)	76.8	256^th of 1111 public elementary schools	77.0%		64.8	420^th of 1110 public elementary schools	62.2%	164	84.0	90.6	89.4	83.3	70.4	84.7	82.4	79.8	$9,347	$599	$8,748
Margaret Beeks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	709 Airport Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5700	346	26	13.3	39.9%	230 (66.5%)	29 (8.4%)	29 (8.4%)	25 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (9.2%)	78.3	226^th of 1111 public elementary schools	79.7%		82.1	181^st of 1110 public elementary schools	83.7%	45	76.8	95.4	82.0	80.3	78.6	95.4	82.0	92.9	$10,254	$342	$9,912
Kipps Elementary	Public	K-5	2801 Prices Fork Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5760	358	26	13.7	23.2%	238 (66.5%)	10 (2.8%)	32 (8.9%)	59 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.3%)	88.3	67^th of 1111 public elementary schools	94.0%		84.4	137^th of 1110 public elementary schools	87.7%	70	95.0	96.1	84.6	84.4	91.7	94.2	87.2	98.0	$9,494	$498	$8,995
Harding Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	429 Harding Avenue	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5732	279	21	13.1	23.7%	197 (70.6%)	11 (3.9%)	19 (6.8%)	32 (11.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.8%)	85.1	126^th of 1111 public elementary schools	88.7%		89.1	64^th of 1110 public elementary schools	94.2%	62	86.2	95.9	86.5	86.5	87.7	93.9	78.9	91.7	$9,379	$382	$8,997
Gilbert Linkous Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	813 Toms Creek Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5726	292	24	12.1	28.8%	197 (67.5%)	14 (4.8%)	16 (5.5%)	45 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.8%)	79.9	201^st of 1111 public elementary schools	81.9%		79.9	215^th of 1110 public elementary schools	80.6%	14	80.9	85.4	91.4	87.9	78.3	82.9	89.7	78.1	$9,686	$104	$9,582
Belview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3187 Peppers Ferry Rd	Radford	24141	Radford city	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 633-3200	245	22	11.0	60.0%	182 (74.3%)	22 (9.0%)	16 (6.5%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.0%)	30.2	841^st of 1111 public elementary schools	24.3%		40.5	714^th of 1110 public elementary schools	35.7%	127	61.4	71.4	58.8	47.1	55.8	73.8	55.9	69.1	$13,253	$1,484	$11,769
Prices Fork Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4021 Prices Fork Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 951-5736	457	34	13.4	86.9%	297 (65.0%)	15 (3.3%)	90 (19.7%)	17 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.1%)	57.8	510^th of 1111 public elementary schools	54.1%		49.2	609^th of 1110 public elementary schools	45.1%	99	76.1	69.4	89.3	72.7	66.7	70.4	78.2	80.0	$1,819	$389	$1,430

Frequently Asked Questions about Falling Branch Elementary

How many students attend Falling Branch Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 535 students attended Falling Branch Elementary.

What district is Falling Branch Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Falling Branch Elementary?

Students at Falling Branch Elementary are 74% White, 12% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% African American.

Is Falling Branch Elementary a good school?

Falling Branch Elementary ranks 568^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Falling Branch Elementary attend?

Students who attend Falling Branch Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Christiansburg Middle
High : Christiansburg 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.