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Penn Forest Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

80^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Penn Forest Elementary is a PK–5 elementary school in Roanoke, VA, serving 408 students in the Roanoke County Public Schools district — ranked 11th among 131 Virginia districts — and it currently ranks 80th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools, placing it in the 93rd percentile with a 5-star rating.

The school's academic performance is well above district and state averages. In 2025–26, Penn Forest exceeded the district's proficiency rates in nearly every subject and grade, with reading as a particular strength: 3rd-grade reading proficiency was 89.3%, 4th-grade was 91.8%, and 5th-grade was 89.3%, compared to district averages of 75.6%, 83.3%, and 84.5%. Math scores are also strong, though 5th-grade math dipped slightly below the district average (84.4% vs. 86.9%), still well above the state average of 72.4%. Among nearby schools, only Back Creek Elementary ranks higher statewide (95th percentile), while Cave Spring Elementary is close behind at the 92nd percentile. Penn Forest actually outpaced both schools in 3rd-grade reading.

Penn Forest achieves these results efficiently, spending $10,913 per student — less than several lower-performing nearby schools — with a student-teacher ratio of 14.8. Chronic absenteeism has fallen dramatically from 13.7% in 2022–23 to just 4.1% in 2024–25, far better than the state rate of 14.8%. The school compares favorably to Crystal Spring Elementary, which has a similar ranking but serves a much higher-poverty population. Areas worth monitoring include recent declines in rankings for low-SES and disabled student subgroups, but these do not undermine the school's standing as one of the strongest elementary schools in the Roanoke region.

408

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,913

Per pupil spending ?

28.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6328 Merriman Rd
Roanoke, VA 24018

(540) 772-7590

District: Roanoke County Public Schools

Students who attend Penn Forest Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cave Spring Middle
High:	Cave Spring High

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.4%

Two or more races:

9.1%

Asian:

8.8%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 89th percentile in 2016 → 93rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (90% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of Virginia elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Roanoke County Public Schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school90%

District avg83%

Virginia avg72%

80^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 11% (2016) to top 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 16Elementary Schools in the Roanoke County Public Schools

11^th of 131Roanoke 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	87.7	80 of 1111	92.8%	★★★★★
2025	88.7	68 of 1110	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	87.1	84 of 1114	92.5%	★★★★★
2023	88.8	62 of 1114	94.4%	★★★★★
2022	89.3	66 of 1109	94.0%	★★★★★
2021	90.7	62 of 1103	94.4%	★★★★★
2019	80.2	164 of 1105	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	86.0	76 of 1097	93.1%	★★★★★
2017	77.7	183 of 1099	83.3%	★★★★☆
2016	81.9	126 of 1096	88.5%	★★★★☆
2015	81.8	130 of 1100	88.2%	★★★★☆
2014	85.3	87 of 1110	92.2%	★★★★★
2013	85.7	80 of 1120	92.9%	★★★★★
2012	84.5	62 of 1117	94.4%	★★★★★
2011	82.6	77 of 1117	93.1%	★★★★★
2010	76.4	157 of 1113	85.9%	★★★★☆
2009	75.2	190 of 1082	82.4%	★★★★☆
2008	79.8	113 of 1081	89.5%	★★★★☆
2007	77.0	158 of 1083	85.4%	★★★★☆
2006	81.9	87 of 1071	91.9%	★★★★★
2005	75.3	196 of 1062	81.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	88.9	1 of 238	99.6%	★★★★★
2023	86.2	5 of 230	97.8%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	65.5	129 of 420	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.5	157 of 355	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	83.3	23 of 324	92.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	88.6	53 of 1100	95.2%	★★★★★
2025	88.2	59 of 1096	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	87.3	71 of 1098	93.5%	★★★★★
2023	84.8	104 of 1100	90.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	72.2	213 of 1040	79.5%	★★★★☆
2025	86.4	68 of 1046	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	87.2	52 of 1036	95.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	83.2	131 of 1099	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	86.3	85 of 1093	92.2%	★★★★★
2024	84.2	122 of 1101	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	89.6	40 of 1093	96.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	79.1	137 of 974	85.9%	★★★★☆
2025	78.5	141 of 973	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	77.9	147 of 979	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	80.4	107 of 984	89.1%	★★★★☆

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)

Asian (2024)100th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)95th percentile~ school

Male (2026)88th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)86th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2026)69th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Science92%+23 vs state

English Reading90%+19 vs state

Mathematics89%+15 vs state

VA Studies88%+18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Penn Forest 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
Penn Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6328 Merriman Rd	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7590	408	28	14.8	28.7%	275 (67.4%)	32 (7.8%)	26 (6.4%)	36 (8.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.1%)	87.7	80^th of 1111 public elementary schools	92.8%		88.7	68^th of 1110 public elementary schools	93.9%	12	92.9	90.3	84.4	92.2	89.3	91.8	89.3	88.3	$10,913	$424	$10,489
Cave Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5404 Springlawn Ave	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7558	489	32	15.5	23.1%	357 (73.0%)	29 (5.9%)	40 (8.2%)	34 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.9%)	87	93^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	91.6%		84.8	125^th of 1110 public elementary schools	88.7%	32	91.5	85.4	95.5	97.8	80.3	90.5	95.5	82.8	$10,102	$332	$9,770
Green Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3838 Overdale Rd	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7556	483	35	14.0	44.3%	316 (65.4%)	39 (8.1%)	62 (12.8%)	26 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.3%)	77.6	237^th of 1111 public elementary schools	78.7%		81.7	186^th of 1110 public elementary schools	83.2%	51	78.8	80.2	93.1	95.8	77.2	88.4	85.9	76.9	$8,973	$460	$8,513
Clearbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5205 Franklin Rd	Roanoke	24014	Roanoke city	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7555	320	24	13.6	40.0%	222 (69.4%)	23 (7.2%)	22 (6.9%)	24 (7.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.8%)	71	339^th of 1111 public elementary schools	69.5%		79	230^th of 1110 public elementary schools	79.3%	109	73.9	78.0	90.6	92.5	67.4	82.0	92.3	72.0	$10,169	$478	$9,691
Grandin Court Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2815 Spessard Ave SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 853-2867	331	27	12.3	99.4%	229 (69.2%)	47 (14.2%)	29 (8.8%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.0%)	77.1	250^th of 1111 public elementary schools	77.5%		83	161^st of 1110 public elementary schools	85.5%	89	87.9	83.3	90.0	82.0	74.2	80.0	87.8	81.5	$12,221	$2,570	$9,651
Fishburn Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3057 Colonial Ave SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-2931	279	28	10.0	101.8%	125 (44.8%)	83 (29.7%)	31 (11.1%)	12 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.0%)	38.1	755^th of 1111 public elementary schools	32.0%		35.2	769^th of 1110 public elementary schools	30.7%	14	77.8	75.0	65.9	53.7	59.3	71.4	58.5	75.0	$15,775	$1,499	$14,276
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5005 Grandin Rd Extension	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7580	400	32	12.6	46.3%	277 (69.3%)	45 (11.3%)	36 (9.0%)	18 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.0%)	76.2	267^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.0%		80.5	207^th of 1110 public elementary schools	81.4%	60	80.3	78.9	80.6	83.6	77.3	84.5	88.1	88.4	$11,876	$466	$11,410
Crystal Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2620 Carolina Ave SW	Roanoke	24014	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 853-2976	323	22	14.9	100.9%	262 (81.1%)	18 (5.6%)	21 (6.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.5%)	88.1	75^th of 1111 public elementary schools	93.2%		86.7	90^th of 1110 public elementary schools	91.9%	15	95.6	94.6	90.9	81.8	88.6	91.1	87.3	90.9	$13,186	$1,222	$11,965
Back Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7130 Bent Mountain Rd	Roanoke	24018	Roanoke County	Roanoke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 772-7565	274	20	14.0	22.3%	253 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	89.1	55^th of 1111 public elementary schools	95.0%		92.6	21^st of 1110 public elementary schools	98.1%	34	90.9	95.7	92.2	96.1	86.4	93.6	82.4	93.6	$11,782	$637	$11,145
Wasena Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1125 Sherwood Ave SW	Roanoke	24015	Roanoke city	Roanoke City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 853-2914	247	19	13.2	100.0%	131 (53.0%)	54 (21.9%)	35 (14.2%)	7 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.1%)	72.8	307^th of 1111 public elementary schools	72.4%		69.9	356^th of 1110 public elementary schools	67.9%	49	70.6	88.2	100.0	97.0	70.6	76.5	87.9	76.5	$12,172	$2,175	$9,998

Frequently Asked Questions about Penn Forest Elementary

What schools do graduates of Penn Forest Elementary attend?

Students who attend Penn Forest Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cave Spring Middle
High : Cave Spring High

Is Penn Forest Elementary a good school?

Yes. Penn Forest Elementary ranks in the top 7.2% of Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Penn Forest Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 408 students attended Penn Forest Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Penn Forest Elementary?

Students at Penn Forest Elementary are 67% White, 9% Two or more races, 9% Asian, 8% African American, 6% Hispanic.

What district is Penn Forest Elementary in?

Roanoke County Public Schools

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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.