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Virginia Heights Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5
799th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools
Better than 28% of Virginia elementary schools
Summary

Virginia Heights Elementary is a public elementary school in Roanoke, Virginia, serving 259 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Roanoke City Public Schools district, which is ranked 114 out of 129 districts in the state.

Despite the district's low ranking, Virginia Heights Elementary consistently outperforms the district and the state of Virginia in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 80% of 3rd-grade students at Virginia Heights Elementary were proficient or better in SOL/Mathematics, compared to 60.81% for the Roanoke City Public Schools district and 72.89% for the state of Virginia. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.9 to 12.1 in recent years, suggesting a more favorable learning environment.

However, Virginia Heights Elementary faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.7% to 27.0% in recent years, and a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 98.96% to 103.09% in recent years. When compared to nearby schools within the Roanoke City Public Schools district, such as Grandin Court Elementary, Virginia Heights Elementary generally performs better academically, particularly in mathematics and reading.

245
Students ?
10.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$17,055
Per pupil spending ?
102.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1210 Amherst Ave SW
       Roanoke, VA  24015

(540) 853-2937

District: Roanoke City Public Schools


Students who attend Virginia Heights Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Woodrow Wilson Middle
High:    Patrick Henry High
Racial breakdown:

White:
49.0%
Hispanic:
21.2%
African American:
19.2%
more
 See top rated Virginia elementary schools

 Compare Virginia Heights Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Rebounding — 22nd percentile in 2022 → 28th in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is rebounding — up to 28th (2025) from a 22nd-percentile low (2022)
Small classes — about 10 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Virginia average (62% vs 71% meeting standards)
!VA Studies scores 20 pts below the Virginia average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school62%
District avg54%
Virginia avg71%
799th of 1,110
Virginia public elementary schools ?
Bottom 28%▼ down 9 pts since 2015
From bottom 37% (2015) to bottom 28% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
6th of 17Elementary Schools in the Roanoke City Public Schools
114th of 129Roanoke 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202533.1799 of 111028.0%★☆☆☆☆
202431.0825 of 111425.9%★☆☆☆☆
202337.1756 of 111432.1%★★☆☆☆
202228.4861 of 110922.4%★☆☆☆☆
202146.5644 of 110341.6%★★☆☆☆
201957.4523 of 110552.7%★★★☆☆
201854.5565 of 109748.5%★★☆☆☆
201753.7571 of 109948.0%★★☆☆☆
201658.4486 of 109655.7%★★★☆☆
201545.6694 of 110036.9%★★☆☆☆
201443.7692 of 111037.7%★★☆☆☆
201343.2713 of 112036.3%★★☆☆☆
201236.0855 of 111723.5%★☆☆☆☆
201132.4914 of 111718.2%★☆☆☆☆
201042.8783 of 111329.6%★☆☆☆☆
200958.4458 of 108257.7%★★★☆☆
200857.9478 of 108155.8%★★★☆☆
200758.3463 of 108357.2%★★★☆☆
200650.8590 of 107144.9%★★☆☆☆
200538.3770 of 106227.5%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202539.8724 of 109633.9%★★☆☆☆
202427.0866 of 109821.1%★☆☆☆☆
202339.7724 of 110034.2%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202537.2708 of 104632.3%★★☆☆☆
202448.2586 of 103643.4%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202552.0557 of 109349.0%★★☆☆☆
202441.4713 of 110135.2%★★☆☆☆
202336.4753 of 109331.1%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202544.5606 of 97337.7%★★☆☆☆
202428.5781 of 97920.2%★☆☆☆☆
202335.3712 of 98427.6%★☆☆☆☆
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 (2025)49th percentile+21 vs school
White (2025)38th percentile+10 vs school
Female (2025)34th percentile+6 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)32nd percentile+4 vs school
By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?
Mathematics68%-4 vs state
English Reading60%-10 vs state
Science60%-9 vs state
VA Studies48%-20 vs state

3.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
51
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11
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What people are saying
by a parent
Saturday, November 15, 2014

Open Quote I thought Virginia Heights would be a good school for my children. Turns out it was all just a show. My children actually did better at a lower ranking school. I feel the teachers at Virginia Heights could put a better effort on teaching students and not "pushing" them through assignments. Better communication between teachers and parents would also be more helpful. Close Quote


Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Open Quote Virgnia Heights is a positive learning enviornment which nurtures their children and has since I was a child and went there myself. They are caring and concerned about their students and are quick to offer any assistance they can. I am proud to be a Virginia Heights Parent. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Virginia Heights Elementary

In the 2024-25 school year, 245 students attended Virginia Heights Elementary.

Virginia Heights Elementary ranks 799th of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students at Virginia Heights Elementary are 49% White, 21% Hispanic, 19% African American, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Students who attend Virginia Heights Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Woodrow Wilson Middle
High : Patrick Henry High


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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.





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