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T. Ryland Sanford Elementary

Q: Is T. Ryland Sanford Elementary a good school?

T. Ryland Sanford Elementary ranks 806 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

806^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

T. Ryland Sanford Elementary is a PK–5 school in Newport News, VA, serving 498 students in the Newport News City Public Schools district. The school has been on an upward trajectory over the past decade, improving from the 15th percentile statewide in 2015–2016 to the 27th percentile in 2025–2026. Among 11 nearby Newport News elementary schools, Sanford sits in the middle of the pack — above Stoney Run Elementary, George J. McIntosh Elementary, Willis A. Jenkins Elementary, Knollwood Meadows Elementary, Kiln Creek Elementary, and Richneck Elementary — but below Richard T. Yates Elementary, L.F. Palmer Elementary, B.C. Charles Elementary, and David A. Dutrow Elementary.

Sanford’s real strengths show up in the upper grades. In 2025–2026, 4th grade reading hit 74.4% proficiency — the highest of all 11 nearby schools and above the state average — and 5th grade reading reached 71.8%, also the best in the group. 5th grade science jumped to 73.1%, well above the state average of 68.8%. The clearest weak spot is 3rd grade, where reading proficiency sits at 54.7% and math at 55.8%, both well below district and state averages. That nearly 20-point gap between 3rd and 4th grade reading suggests interventions in later grades may be working, but early-grade instruction needs attention.

The most urgent concern is chronic absenteeism. Sanford’s rate reached 22.0% in 2024–2025, the highest in the comparison group and well above the district (18.5%) and state (14.8%). Nearby David A. Dutrow Elementary and Richneck Elementary post rates below 12%, showing this is not an inevitable consequence of poverty. The subgroup picture is mixed but encouraging: English Language Learner students rank at the 72nd percentile statewide, Hispanic students at the 61st, and African American students improved dramatically from the 22nd to 42nd percentile. White students, however, dropped to the 7th percentile, a sharp decline worth monitoring. Overall, Sanford is a school with real momentum — strong upper-grade academics, broad-based improvement, and notable success with several student groups — but reducing absenteeism and closing the 3rd grade gap are the keys to continued progress.

498

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,098

Per pupil spending ?

99.0%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

480 Colony Road
Newport News, VA 23602

(757) 886-7778

District: Newport News City Public Schools

Students who attend T. Ryland Sanford Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mary Passage Middle
High:	Denbigh High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

42.0%

White:

23.7%

Hispanic:

18.9%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare T. Ryland Sanford Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 15th percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (64% vs 72% meeting standards)

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

!VA Studies scores 16 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg61%

Virginia avg72%

806^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 15% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 24Elementary Schools in the Newport News City Public Schools

105^th of 131Newport News 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	33.7	806 of 1111	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.8	818 of 1110	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.5	915 of 1114	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.6	891 of 1114	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	974 of 1109	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	933 of 1103	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.4	959 of 1105	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.0	952 of 1097	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.2	919 of 1099	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.9	936 of 1096	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	39.4	778 of 1100	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.0	967 of 1110	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	20.5	996 of 1120	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.3	1024 of 1117	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	30.5	934 of 1117	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.1	896 of 1113	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.5	944 of 1082	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	41.2	751 of 1081	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.0	708 of 1083	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	32.7	864 of 1071	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	75.9	183 of 1062	82.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	47.0	343 of 591	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.3	372 of 579	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	456 of 588	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	471 of 579	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	89 of 315	71.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	31.4	818 of 1100	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.5	793 of 1096	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	880 of 1098	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.9	845 of 1100	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	59.8	239 of 619	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.1	236 of 606	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.6	239 of 564	57.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.3	624 of 1040	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.2	678 of 1046	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.8	743 of 1036	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	36.7	772 of 1099	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.6	829 of 1093	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	921 of 1101	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	915 of 1093	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	23.8	260 of 306	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.9	255 of 271	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	37.3	166 of 247	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.2	212 of 245	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	16.3	902 of 974	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	32.5	740 of 973	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	820 of 979	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.3	823 of 984	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)72nd percentile+44 vs school

Hispanic (2026)61st percentile+34 vs school

African American (2026)42nd percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)30th percentile~ school

Female (2026)26th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)15th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)7th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science73%+4 vs state

English Reading66%-5 vs state

Mathematics61%-12 vs state

VA Studies55%-16 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

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1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, April 14, 2019

Absolutely LOVE the school, the environment, the staff, and the teaching staff is one of a kind ❤️ Close Quote

by a student
Tuesday, March 28, 2017

before I moved to lee hall my life at Sanford was PERFECT...I loved my expirience Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 18, 2016

We have been very happy with the office staff and teachers at Sanford. They helped us transition into the school in the middle of the year. The principle (Lieberman) knows all the kids by name; they all respond very well to him in the halls. He has their respect. He keeps a very encouraging and positive attitude. The teachers we have in first and second grade are great teachers, obviously enjoy what they are doing and really investing into our kids. Our kids are excited about school every day; they love the music and arts and PE class as well. We are all sad to be moving away from this school. Close Quote

Schools Near T. Ryland Sanford 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 (2025)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	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
T. Ryland Sanford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	480 Colony Road	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 886-7778	498	27	18.4	99.0%	118 (23.7%)	209 (42.0%)	94 (18.9%)	18 (3.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (11.2%)	33.7	806^th of 1111 public elementary schools	27.5%		30.8	818^th of 1110 public elementary schools	26.3%	12	55.8	67.4	60.3	73.1	54.7	74.4	71.8	54.8	$9,098	$295	$8,804
Willis A. Jenkins Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	80 Menchville Road	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 881-5400	507	27	18.7	99.4%	88 (17.4%)	274 (54.0%)	97 (19.1%)	12 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.5%)	25	893^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	19.6%		12.3	1005^th of 1110 public elementary schools	9.5%	112	67.6	55.3	53.7	68.7	59.2	55.3	65.7	56.5	$9,887	$666	$9,221
B.C. Charles Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	701 Menchville Road	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7750	388	19	20.4	99.2%	141 (36.3%)	158 (40.7%)	44 (11.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	39 (10.1%)	43.7	693^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	37.6%		35.1	770^th of 1110 public elementary schools	30.6%	77	75.7	74.3	62.5	62.5	72.5	71.6	65.8	63.5	$11,897	$569	$11,328
Stoney Run Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	855 Lucas Creek Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 886-7755	453	26	17.4	99.3%	75 (16.6%)	221 (48.8%)	114 (25.2%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	31 (6.8%)	5.2	1067^th of 1111 public elementary schools	4.0%		9.6	1028^th of 1110 public elementary schools	7.4%	39	51.9	41.0	48.7	42.3	43.2	45.9	46.2	40.7	$12,521	$1,363	$11,159
Knollwood Meadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	826 Moyer Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7783	460	23	20.0	99.3%	147 (32.0%)	161 (35.0%)	76 (16.5%)	16 (3.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (12.4%)	30.4	838^th of 1111 public elementary schools	24.6%		35.5	764^th of 1110 public elementary schools	31.2%	74	69.7	56.7	65.5	63.6	60.6	61.2	63.6	63.6	$10,726	$369	$10,357
David A. Dutrow Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	60 Curtis Tignor Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(757) 886-7760	341	20	17.0	99.1%	55 (16.1%)	169 (49.6%)	64 (18.8%)	5 (1.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (12.9%)	45.6	668^th of 1111 public elementary schools	39.9%		33.3	797^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.2%	129	76.8	75.0	63.6	50.9	73.2	73.2	63.6	75.0	$10,982	$277	$10,705
George J. McIntosh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	185 Richneck Rd	Newport News	23608	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 886-7767	446	25	17.8	99.3%	49 (11.0%)	236 (52.9%)	114 (25.6%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.0%)	14.8	990^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.9%		14	988^th of 1110 public elementary schools	11.0%	2	60.9	54.7	42.9	39.7	52.2	63.5	48.3	61.9	$13,038	$1,217	$11,822
Richard T. Yates Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	73 Maxwell Ln	Newport News	23606	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 881-5450	448	20	22.4	97.8%	178 (39.7%)	170 (37.9%)	43 (9.6%)	9 (2.0%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.6%)	35	788^th of 1111 public elementary schools	29.1%		33.6	790^th of 1110 public elementary schools	28.8%	2	71.3	57.8	70.4	67.6	70.0	61.1	68.1	54.4	$10,060	$521	$9,539
L.F. Palmer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Palmer Lane	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 881-5000	465	26	17.8	98.3%	31 (6.7%)	190 (40.9%)	202 (43.4%)	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.3%)	39.6	739^th of 1111 public elementary schools	33.5%		22.4	897^th of 1110 public elementary schools	19.2%	158	73.5	59.3	69.2	69.2	59.3	62.6	70.1	73.6	$11,728	$463	$11,265
Kiln Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Kiln Creek Pkwy	Newport News	23602	Newport News city	Newport News City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 886-7961	553	26	21.2	99.5%	90 (16.3%)	308 (55.7%)	89 (16.1%)	13 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.0%)	32.4	817^th of 1111 public elementary schools	26.5%		38.3	736^th of 1110 public elementary schools	33.7%	81	71.1	58.8	70.6	63.2	60.2	63.9	64.7	61.9	$10,887	$998	$9,890

Frequently Asked Questions about T. Ryland Sanford Elementary

What district is T. Ryland Sanford Elementary in?

Newport News City Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of T. Ryland Sanford Elementary?

Students at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary are 42% African American, 24% White, 19% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend T. Ryland Sanford Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 498 students attended T. Ryland Sanford Elementary.

What schools do graduates of T. Ryland Sanford Elementary attend?

Students who attend T. Ryland Sanford Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mary Passage Middle
High : Denbigh High

Is T. Ryland Sanford Elementary a good school?

T. Ryland Sanford Elementary ranks 806^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate T. Ryland Sanford Elementary!

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 12, 2026

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 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.