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Mountain View Elementary

Q: Is Mountain View Elementary a good school?

Mountain View Elementary ranks 343 rd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

343^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 69% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Mountain View Elementary in Buena Vista, VA, is a small rural PK-5 school serving 154 students as part of Rockbridge County Public Schools, ranking in the 69th percentile statewide (343rd of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools) with a 3-star rating. The school serves a very high-poverty population — 97.4% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — yet it consistently outperforms what that statistic might suggest. Along with Fairfield Elementary, it is one of the top two elementary schools in the district.

Mountain View's standout results come in 4th and 5th grade. In the most recent testing year, 94.4% of 4th graders passed math and Virginia Studies, and 89.5% of 5th graders passed reading — all well above district and state averages. The school's work with economically disadvantaged students is especially noteworthy: its low-income subgroup ranking places it in the 92nd percentile statewide. The contrast with Natural Bridge Elementary is striking — a same-district school with nearly identical poverty rates where Mountain View outperforms by 20 to 40 percentage points in nearly every subject. Even compared to Harrington Waddell Elementary in Lexington, a 5-star school with a wealthier student body, Mountain View's low-income students post results comparable to that school's overall population. The school also keeps chronic absenteeism well below district levels and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 10.6.

The main concern is 3rd-grade reading, where only 56.5% of students passed, below the state average of 67.6%. This is worth watching closely, especially since the same students perform much better by 4th and 5th grade. A notable gender gap also exists, with female students scoring below male students on statewide subgroup measures. Because of the school's small size — roughly 20 to 30 students per grade — year-to-year test scores can swing dramatically. Mountain View was once one of Virginia's best elementary schools, ranking 2nd in the state in 2016-2017, and while it hasn't yet returned to that elite level, its current trajectory and exceptional outcomes for high-poverty students suggest a school doing more with less.

154

Students ?

10.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,304

Per pupil spending ?

97.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

20 Burger Circle
Buena Vista, VA 24416

(540) 261-2418

District: Rockbridge County Public Schools

Students who attend Mountain View Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Maury River Middle
High:	Rockbridge County High

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.3%

Two or more races:

6.5%

African American:

2.6%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Mountain View Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 42nd percentile in 2023 → 69th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (82% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 69th (2026) from a 42nd-percentile low (2023)

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

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg70%

Virginia avg72%

343^rd of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 31%▼ down 30 pts since 2016

From top 1% (2016) to top 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Elementary Schools in the Rockbridge County Public Schools

71^st of 131Rockbridge 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	70.7	343 of 1111	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.1	532 of 1110	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.8	457 of 1114	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.8	642 of 1114	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	71.5	328 of 1109	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	66.4	382 of 1103	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	90.5	15 of 1105	98.6%	★★★★★
2018	91.1	18 of 1097	98.4%	★★★★★
2017	94.5	2 of 1099	99.8%	★★★★★
2016	92.4	5 of 1096	99.5%	★★★★★
2015	67.2	343 of 1100	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	77.3	185 of 1110	83.3%	★★★★☆
2013	54.2	541 of 1120	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	72.7	238 of 1117	78.7%	★★★★☆
2011	58.6	480 of 1117	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.5	257 of 1113	76.9%	★★★★☆
2009	42.7	747 of 1082	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.6	453 of 1081	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.5	327 of 1083	69.8%	★★★★☆
2006	54.3	531 of 1071	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	35.0	810 of 1062	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	20.5	925 of 1096	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.1	708 of 1098	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	83.7	86 of 1040	91.7%	★★★★★
2025	77.1	170 of 1046	83.7%	★★★★☆
2024	79.4	140 of 1036	86.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	69.8	330 of 1099	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	54.5	521 of 1093	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.9	520 of 1101	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	569 of 1093	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	53.2	483 of 974	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.0	695 of 973	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.9	643 of 979	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.5	854 of 984	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)92nd percentile+23 vs school

Male (2026)70th percentile~ school

White (2026)50th percentile-19 vs school

Female (2025)16th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies94%+24 vs state

Science84%+15 vs state

Mathematics82%+8 vs state

English Reading77%+5 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, September 12, 2014

Mountain View Elementary School is without a doubt the best school in the Rockbridge-BV-Lexington area. My two daughters attended MVES for their entire elementary years. One went on to be valedictorian at Rockbridge County High School, the other was salutatorian. The great thing about MVES though is that they don't just focus on the high achievers. All of the teachers know all of the students, and those students who need extra help to succeed get it. MVES's Destination Imagination team is consistently competitive with schools public and private across the state, having advanced to the Global Finals five times. The teaching staff is caring and experienced. The vast majority of the teachers there are the same as when my girls attended, giving a continuity of quality not found at many schools. Recently one of the teachers was named a Virginia Super Teacher by the VA Dept. of Education. If you're looking for a small, community elementary school where your child will succeed, you'll do no better than MVES. Close Quote

Schools Near Mountain View 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 Civics and Economics (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 Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mountain View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20 Burger Circle	Buena Vista	24416	Buena Vista city	Rockbridge County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 261-2418	154	14	10.6	97.4%	136 (88.3%)	4 (2.6%)	3 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.5%)	70.7	343^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	69.1%		56.1	532^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	52.1%	189	73.9	94.4	79.0			84.2	56.5	88.9	89.5				94.4	$12,304	$1,272	$11,032
F.W. Kling Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	3400 Lombardy Ave	Buena Vista	24416	Buena Vista city	Buena Vista City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 261-6717	177	15	11.8	94.9%	129 (72.9%)	9 (5.1%)	13 (7.3%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	22 (12.4%)								(n/a)														$7,008	$1,785	$5,223
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	85 Central Road	Lexington	24450	Lexington city	Rockbridge County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 463-4500	466	37	12.6	85.8%	370 (79.4%)	17 (3.6%)	53 (11.4%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	49.6	614^th of 1111 public elementary schools	44.7%		49.8	601^st of 1110 public elementary schools	45.9%	13	70.9	71.8	84.9			73.6	56.8	67.6	71.7				80.3	$9,262	$1,144	$8,118
Enderly Heights Elementary	Public	2-5	101 Woodland Ave	Buena Vista	24416	Buena Vista city	Buena Vista City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 261-6151	268	21	12.7	92.2%	213 (79.5%)	7 (2.6%)	21 (7.8%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.5%)	60	476^th of 1111 public elementary schools	57.2%		57.4	511^th of 1110 public elementary schools	54.0%	35	51.6	74.1	88.4			78.3	60.0	84.5	84.1				80.4	$10,062	$1,512	$8,550
Harrington Waddell Elementary	Public	K-5	100 Pendleton Place	Lexington	24450	Lexington city	Lexington City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 463-5353	350	24	14.5	25.4%	266 (76.0%)	22 (6.3%)	21 (6.0%)	16 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.1%)	88	76^th of 1111 public elementary schools	93.2%		91.2	33^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	97.0%	43	88.5	89.1	100.0			92.5	77.4	90.9	96.2				90.6	$9,454	$932	$8,522
Fairfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20 Fairfield School Rd	Fairfield	24435	Rockbridge County	Rockbridge County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 348-5202	241	22	11.0	79.7%	203 (84.2%)	5 (2.1%)	15 (6.2%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.8%)	70.5	346^th of 1111 public elementary schools	68.9%		53.3	561^st of 1110 public elementary schools	49.5%	215	87.0	91.2	80.6			63.9	82.6	85.3	66.7				85.3	$13,163	$1,744	$11,419
Natural Bridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	42 Natural Bridge School Rd.	Natural Bridge Station	24579	Rockbridge County	Rockbridge County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 291-2292	230	22	10.5	98.3%	178 (77.4%)	8 (3.5%)	15 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (12.6%)	14.1	997^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.3%		14.4	986^th of 1110 public elementary schools	11.2%	11	44.2	60.6	51.7			44.8	39.5	60.6	44.8				69.7	$11,862	$1,771	$10,091
Temperance Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1981 Lowesville Rd	Amherst	24521	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 946-2811	93	7	13.2	82.8%	81 (87.1%)	5 (5.4%)	4 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	62.9	437^th of 1111 public elementary schools	60.7%		73.1	308^th of 1110 public elementary schools	72.3%	129	100.0	55.0	94.7			73.7	76.9	75.0	94.7				65.0	$12,287	$595	$11,692
Big Island Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1114 Schooldays Rd	Big Island	24526	Bedford County	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 299-5863	182	12	14.9	82.4%	153 (84.1%)	7 (3.8%)	9 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.6%)	56.9	527^th of 1111 public elementary schools	52.6%		51.6	580^th of 1110 public elementary schools	47.7%	53	90.3	79.2	93.3			66.7	61.3	66.7	73.3				70.8	$9,621	$757	$8,865
Millboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	411 Church Street	Millboro	24460	Bath County	Bath County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 997-5452	143	8	18.4	98.6%	136 (95.1%)	2 (1.4%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	61.4	459^th of 1111 public elementary schools	58.7%		72.2	321^st of 1110 public elementary schools	71.1%	138	80.0	75.0	87.5	392.0	68.8	87.5	50.0	81.3	81.3	66.7	75.0	68.8	75.0	$14,353	$808	$13,545

Frequently Asked Questions about Mountain View Elementary

Is Mountain View Elementary a good school?

Mountain View Elementary ranks 343^rd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Mountain View Elementary?

Students at Mountain View Elementary are 88% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend Mountain View Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 154 students attended Mountain View Elementary.

What district is Mountain View Elementary in?

Rockbridge County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Mountain View Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mountain View Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Maury River Middle
High : Rockbridge County 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.