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Natural Bridge Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

997^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 10% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Natural Bridge Elementary is a small, rural school in Natural Bridge Station, VA, serving 230 students in grades PK-5 as part of Rockbridge County Public Schools. It has one of the highest poverty rates in the region — 98% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and its state ranking has dropped sharply, from the 72nd percentile in 2018-19 to the 10th percentile (one star) in 2025-26. Proficiency trails district and state averages by 20 to 30 points in most subjects, with the biggest gaps in early grades: only 39.5% of 3rd graders are proficient in reading (vs. 67.6% statewide) and 44.2% in math (vs. 74% statewide).

The most telling comparison is Mountain View Elementary, about 14 miles away in the same district with nearly identical poverty (97.4%). Mountain View ranks in the 69th percentile and posts dramatically higher scores — 94.4% of 4th graders proficient in math vs. Natural Bridge's 60.6%. Nearby Big Island Elementary and Central Elementary also serve high-poverty populations and outperform Natural Bridge in nearly every subject, as do Boonsboro Elementary and Harrington Waddell Elementary — despite spending less per student and having larger classes. These comparisons suggest poverty alone doesn't explain the results.

There is one clear bright spot: chronic absenteeism has fallen from 29% in 2022-23 to 11.9% in 2024-25, now better than both the district (15.1%) and state (14.8%). Natural Bridge also spends more per student ($11,862) and has a smaller student-teacher ratio (10.5:1) than most higher-performing nearby schools. With stronger attendance, solid resources, and a successful, similarly high-poverty school in its own district to learn from, Natural Bridge has real room to improve — but meaningful change will likely depend on adopting the instructional approaches that schools like Mountain View are already using.

230

Students ?

10.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,066

Per pupil spending ?

98.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

42 Natural Bridge School Rd.
Natural Bridge Station, VA 24579

(540) 291-2292

District: Rockbridge County Public Schools

Students who attend Natural Bridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Maury River Middle
High:	Rockbridge County High

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.4%

Two or more races:

12.6%

Hispanic:

6.5%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 24th percentile in 2016 → 10th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (51% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg70%

Virginia avg72%

997^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 10%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 24% (2016) to bottom 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th 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	14.1	997 of 1111	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.4	986 of 1110	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.4	818 of 1114	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	815 of 1114	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.1	703 of 1109	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.2	666 of 1103	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.0	309 of 1105	72.0%	★★★★☆
2018	51.8	600 of 1097	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	56.7	517 of 1099	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	35.0	832 of 1096	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.7	887 of 1100	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	19.5	1013 of 1110	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	32.4	851 of 1120	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	35.3	863 of 1117	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	22.3	1023 of 1117	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	7.0	1095 of 1113	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	17.7	1022 of 1082	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	16.0	1033 of 1081	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	26.6	939 of 1083	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	44.4	704 of 1071	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.4	749 of 1062	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	749 of 1100	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	16.3	958 of 1096	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	905 of 1098	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.7	847 of 1100	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	813 of 1040	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.9	874 of 1046	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.1	781 of 1036	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	15.5	980 of 1099	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.0	836 of 1093	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.6	618 of 1101	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.3	615 of 1093	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	7.9	948 of 974	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.8	950 of 973	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.8	918 of 979	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.1	919 of 984	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)32nd percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)22nd percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)11th percentile~ school

White (2026)3rd percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies70%~ state avg

Mathematics51%-22 vs state

English Reading48%-24 vs state

Science45%-24 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, October 24, 2017

My granddaughter attends this school. I am very pleased with the teachers and staff. They seem to care about each and every student. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 16, 2016

I've been very happy with this school. This area is high poverty and I know that affects student performance, but the staff is very kind. They go above and beyond to provide additional resources - low to no cost - for the students. The physical building was also refurnished not too long ago. The school building is bright and welcoming. Close Quote

Schools Near Natural Bridge 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	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
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	$12,066	$1,840	$10,226
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	$10,054	$1,114	$8,941
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	$8,721	$1,361	$7,360
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	$9,201	$648	$8,553
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	$10,376	$1,368	$9,008
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)									$8,689	$1,659	$7,030
Buchanan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 Schoolhouse Rd	Buchanan	24066	Botetourt County	Botetourt County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 254-2084	276	23	12.2	69.9%	252 (91.3%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.8%)	60.9	466^th of 1111 public elementary schools	58.1%		67.7	378^th of 1110 public elementary schools	65.9%	88	64.9	83.3	68.9	66.7	73.0	86.8	71.1	87.0	$11,681	$1,196	$10,485
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	$11,965	$1,286	$10,679
Eagle Rock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	145 Eagles Nest Dr	Eagle Rock	24085	Botetourt County	Botetourt County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 884-2421	121	11	11.2	70.2%	114 (94.2%)	2 (1.7%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.3%)	65.3	408^th of 1111 public elementary schools	63.3%		73.5	303^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	72.7%	105	100.0	77.3	85.7	78.6	88.2	68.2	92.3	59.1	$15,710	$1,553	$14,157
Boonsboro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1234 Eagle Circle	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Bedford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(434) 384-2881	309	19	16.2	26.5%	253 (81.9%)	22 (7.1%)	16 (5.2%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	76.2	266^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.1%		74.5	294^th of 1110 public elementary schools	73.5%	28	87.5	69.1	89.4	88.0	85.7	81.5	81.6	84.6	$8,439	$283	$8,156

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Bridge Elementary

What schools do graduates of Natural Bridge Elementary attend?

Students who attend Natural Bridge Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Maury River Middle
High : Rockbridge County High

What is the racial makeup of Natural Bridge Elementary?

Students at Natural Bridge Elementary are 77% White, 13% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 3% African American.

How many students attend Natural Bridge Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 230 students attended Natural Bridge Elementary.

Is Natural Bridge Elementary a good school?

Natural Bridge Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.3% of Virginia elementary schools.

What district is Natural Bridge Elementary in?

Rockbridge County Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 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.