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Belfast Elementary

Q: Is Belfast Elementary a good school?

Belfast Elementary ranks 142 nd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

142^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Belfast Elementary is a small, rural school in Rosedale, VA, serving 141 students in grades PK–5 as part of Russell County Public Schools. Despite serving a student body where roughly 91% qualify for free/reduced lunch and coming from a district ranked in the bottom half of Virginia, Belfast has repeatedly been one of the state's standout elementary schools. In the most recent school year, Belfast ranked 142nd of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools (87th percentile, 4 stars), with SOL proficiency rates well above state averages: 100% in 3rd grade math, 93% in 3rd grade reading, 94% in 5th grade reading, and 88% in 5th grade science. The year before, the school posted near-perfect results, including 100% proficiency in multiple subjects.

What makes Belfast particularly notable is that it achieves these results with far fewer resources than comparable schools. Belfast spends just $6,294 per student — less than half of what Saltville Elementary spends ($12,996) and well below nearby schools like Lebanon Elementary ($8,272), Honaker Elementary ($7,475), and Meadowview Elementary ($10,933). Belfast also operates with a higher student-teacher ratio (14.7) than most of its peers. In fact, Belfast outperforms nearly all of these higher-spending schools academically, making it a striking example of cost-efficient success. Within its own district, Belfast is far ahead of Lebanon Elementary (62nd percentile) and Honaker Elementary (68th percentile).

The main concern for families to watch is attendance. Belfast's chronic absenteeism rate rose to 22.0% in 2024–2025, well above the district rate of 13.9% and state rate of 14.8%. Only Richlands Elementary (25.1%) and Cedar Bluff Elementary (26.8%) have higher rates among nearby schools. Also, because Belfast's enrollment is small, test scores can swing noticeably from year to year as individual cohorts change. For example, 5th grade math proficiency ranged from 56% to 100% over the past four years. Still, Belfast's track record suggests strong foundations. It has earned a 5-star rating in nearly every recent year and has finished in the top 16 statewide as recently as 2024–2025.

141

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,294

Per pupil spending ?

91.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

646 Belfast School Rd.
Rosedale, VA 24280

(276) 880-2283

District: Russell County Public Schools

Students who attend Belfast Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lebanon Middle
High:	Lebanon High

Racial breakdown:

White:

97.2%

Two or more races:

1.4%

African American:

0.7%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Belfast Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 76th percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (88% vs 72% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Virginia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (22% vs 15% Virginia)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school88%

District avg72%

Virginia avg72%

142^nd of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

80^th of 131Russell 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	84.1	142 of 1111	87.2%	★★★★☆
2025	93.2	16 of 1110	98.6%	★★★★★
2024	91.2	32 of 1114	97.1%	★★★★★
2023	84.4	130 of 1114	88.3%	★★★★☆
2022	93.1	13 of 1109	98.8%	★★★★★
2021	91.8	49 of 1103	95.6%	★★★★★
2019	94.2	3 of 1105	99.7%	★★★★★
2018	93.7	5 of 1097	99.5%	★★★★★
2017	92.8	5 of 1099	99.5%	★★★★★
2016	72.5	268 of 1096	75.5%	★★★★☆
2015	85.9	53 of 1100	95.2%	★★★★★
2014	78.3	173 of 1110	84.4%	★★★★☆
2013	50.9	594 of 1120	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	75.7	197 of 1117	82.4%	★★★★☆
2011	83.4	69 of 1117	93.8%	★★★★★
2010	75.4	175 of 1113	84.3%	★★★★☆
2009	70.6	269 of 1082	75.1%	★★★★☆
2008	67.2	322 of 1081	70.2%	★★★★☆
2007	70.3	267 of 1083	75.3%	★★★★☆
2006	66.5	328 of 1071	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	72.4	237 of 1062	77.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	76.5	241 of 1100	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	91.3	22 of 1096	98.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	79.8	193 of 1101	82.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	271 of 974	72.2%	★★★★☆
2025	87.6	25 of 973	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	84.1	62 of 979	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	75.7	173 of 984	82.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Male (2024)82nd percentile-15 vs school

Female (2026)78th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)72nd percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

English Reading92%+20 vs state

Mathematics90%+16 vs state

Science88%+19 vs state

VA Studies75%+4 vs state

4.0

2 ratings

5★1

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Belfast 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	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Belfast Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	646 Belfast School Rd.	Rosedale	24280	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 880-2283	141	10	14.7	91.5%	137 (97.2%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	84.1	142^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	87.2%		93.2	16^th of 1110 public elementary schools	98.6%	126	100.0	87.5	82.4			88.2	93.3	87.5	94.1				75.0	≥ 50%	$6,294	$1,079	$5,215
Honaker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	50 Honaker Elementary Dr.	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 873-6301	712	54	13.2	91.2%	695 (97.6%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	69.3	359^th of 1111 public elementary schools	67.7%		78.9	232^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	79.1%	127	84.5	80.9	85.5	50.0	78.2	90.3	73.8	91.2	85.5	72.7	71.8	76.9	80.6		$7,475	$942	$6,533
Saltville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1013 E Main St	Saltville	24370	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 496-4751	189	16	11.5	101.6%	173 (91.5%)	3 (1.6%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.2%)	90.6	37^th of 1111 public elementary schools	96.7%		89.8	53^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	95.2%	16	94.3	90.9	100.0			95.0	82.9	100.0	90.0				90.9		$12,996	$1,838	$11,157
Richlands Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	309 East Front Street	Richlands	24641	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 964-4112	576	42	13.7	90.5%	554 (96.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.0%)	77	251^st of 1111 public elementary schools	77.4%		70.1	351^st of 1110 public elementary schools	68.4%	100	79.0	81.6	87.9			73.6	75.3	88.9	89.0				89.9		$9,850	$1,554	$8,296
Cedar Bluff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1089 Cedar Valley Drive	Cedar Bluff	24609	Tazewell County	Tazewell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 963-5765	308	22	14.0	91.6%	294 (95.5%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	59.6	483^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	56.5%		71.3	338^th of 1110 public elementary schools	69.5%	145	69.4	79.6	63.3			67.4	79.4	85.2	83.7				72.2		$9,110	$1,815	$7,295
Lebanon Primary	Public	PK, KG-1	919 East Main Street	Lebanon	24266	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 889-4507	267	20	13.1	94.4%	257 (96.3%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)								(n/a)															$7,633	$1,275	$6,357
Lebanon Elementary	Public	2-4	56 George Ben Whited Drive	Lebanon	24266	Russell County	Russell County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 889-6531	292	24	12.3	89.7%	279 (95.5%)	6 (2.1%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	64.5	421^st of 1111 public elementary schools	62.1%		48.9	617^th of 1110 public elementary schools	44.4%	196	81.0	73.2					71.4	78.1					84.0		$8,272	$1,095	$7,177
Rich Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	196 Long Hollow Rd	Saltville	24370	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 624-3314	126	11	11.3	101.6%	124 (98.4%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	79.1	213^th of 1111 public elementary schools	80.8%		83.5	154^th of 1110 public elementary schools	86.1%	59	65.0	88.2	100.0			91.7	85.0	94.1	83.3				93.8		$12,975	$2,582	$10,393
Council Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-7	7608 Helen Henderson Hwy	Honaker	24260	Russell County	Buchanan County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 859-9329	194	16	12.2	103.6%	189 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	40.2	732^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	34.1%		38.1	737^th of 1110 public elementary schools	33.6%	5	62.5	69.0	55.0	77.8	52.2	75.0	62.5	72.4	50.0	55.6	69.6	56.5	75.9		$10,736	$3,923	$6,813
Meadowview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14050 Glenbrook Ave	Meadowview	24361	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 739-3900	544	42	13.1	75.2%	515 (94.7%)	5 (0.9%)	16 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	65.5	404^th of 1111 public elementary schools	63.6%		67.4	385^th of 1110 public elementary schools	65.3%	19	74.7	88.7	80.9			62.9	73.6	81.4	77.5				81.3		$10,933	$2,024	$8,910

Frequently Asked Questions about Belfast Elementary

What district is Belfast Elementary in?

Russell County Public Schools

Is Belfast Elementary a good school?

Belfast Elementary ranks 142^nd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Belfast Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 141 students attended Belfast Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Belfast Elementary?

Students at Belfast Elementary are 97% White, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Belfast Elementary attend?

Students who attend Belfast Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lebanon Middle
High : Lebanon 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.