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Atkins Elementary

Q: Is Atkins Elementary a good school?

Atkins Elementary ranks 581 st of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

581^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Atkins Elementary is a small, rural PK-5 school in Atkins, VA, serving 168 students as part of Smyth County Public Schools, a district ranked in the top 17th percentile of Virginia districts. Nearly all of the school's students (99.4%) qualify for free/reduced lunch, and the school maintains a strong student-teacher ratio of 9.7:1. In the most recent statewide ranking, Atkins placed 581st out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools, landing at the 48th percentile with a 2-star rating — a slight dip from the prior year's 3-star, 55th-percentile showing.

Atkins currently ranks as the lowest-performing elementary school among its nearby peers. Neighboring schools like Oak Point Elementary, Marion Elementary, Chilhowie Elementary, and Sugar Grove Elementary all outrank Atkins despite serving similarly high-poverty student populations. Academically, the picture is mixed. On 2025-26 SOL tests, 5th-grade reading (83.3% proficient) and 3rd-grade math (80%) stood out as genuine bright spots, along with 5th-grade science (70.8%). However, upper-elementary math lags: only 65.4% of 4th graders and 66.7% of 5th graders passed math, well below district averages, and 3rd-grade reading also trailed the district at 64%. Notably, Atkins's economically disadvantaged students rank in the 73rd percentile statewide, suggesting the school serves its high-poverty population comparatively well.

One of the clearest challenges is attendance. Chronic absenteeism more than doubled from 8.3% in 2023-24 to 19.9% in 2024-25, well above the state average of 14.8%. Nearby schools with much lower absenteeism, such as Sugar Grove and Rich Valley Elementary, also post stronger results. Because grade-level cohorts are small, year-to-year test scores can swing sharply, so multi-year trends matter more than any single year. With a low student-teacher ratio, rising per-pupil spending, and clear strengths in 5th-grade reading and science, Atkins has real assets to build on — but improving attendance and shoring up early reading and upper-elementary math will be essential to climbing the rankings.

168

Students ?

9.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,733

Per pupil spending ?

99.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5903 Lee Hwy
Atkins, VA 24311

(276) 783-3366

District: Smyth County Public Schools

Students who attend Atkins Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Marion Middle
High:	Marion Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.9%

Hispanic:

6.5%

Two or more races:

0.6%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Atkins Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 61st percentile in 2023 → 48th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 61st-percentile peak (2023) to 48th (2026)

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

!Near the bottom of Smyth County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg80%

Virginia avg72%

581^st of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▲ up 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to bottom 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Smyth County Public Schools

17^th of 131Smyth 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	52.9	581 of 1111	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.7	496 of 1110	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.7	686 of 1114	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.6	438 of 1114	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.2	821 of 1109	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.3	824 of 1103	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	57.8	517 of 1105	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.2	737 of 1097	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.0	648 of 1099	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.3	826 of 1096	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	26.6	910 of 1100	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	58.1	474 of 1110	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	17.5	1028 of 1120	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	34.3	882 of 1117	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.9	940 of 1117	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.3	934 of 1113	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	26.2	954 of 1082	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	21.2	987 of 1081	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	26.3	942 of 1083	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.2	921 of 1071	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	44.6	663 of 1062	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	491 of 1100	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.0	685 of 1096	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.3	691 of 1098	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.6	583 of 1100	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	67.6	278 of 1046	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	63.7	372 of 1036	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	50.2	600 of 1099	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	62.8	423 of 1093	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.0	509 of 1101	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.0	303 of 1093	72.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	802 of 974	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.4	743 of 973	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.4	824 of 979	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	763 of 984	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)73rd percentile+18 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)45th percentile~ school

White (2026)18th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies76%+5 vs state

English Reading73%~ state avg

Science71%~ state avg

Mathematics71%-3 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, February 11, 2022

Wonderful Teachers so far in Pre-K and Kindergarten. I can tell they really care about my child's learning. Close Quote

Schools Near Atkins 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	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
Atkins Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5903 Lee Hwy	Atkins	24311	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 783-3366	168	17	9.7	99.4%	156 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	52.9	581^st of 1111 public elementary schools	47.7%		58.7	496^th of 1110 public elementary schools	55.3%	85	80.0	65.4	66.7			70.8	64.0	73.1	83.3				76.0	$10,733	$1,670	$9,063
Marion Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	188 Star Mountain Dr	Marion	24354	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 783-3021	298	22	13.7	100.3%	264 (88.6%)	17 (5.7%)	9 (3.0%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	69.2	360^th of 1111 public elementary schools	67.6%		65.7	407^th of 1110 public elementary schools	63.3%	47	84.3	81.0	81.8			70.5	82.4	84.5	70.5				77.6	$9,863	$1,490	$8,374
Smyth County Virtual	Public, Virtual	K-2	121 Bagley Circle	Marion	24354	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(276) 783-3791	339	20	16.9		132 (38.9%)	102 (30.1%)	49 (14.5%)	9 (2.7%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (13.0%)								(n/a)
Sugar Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	242 Teas Rd	Sugar Grove	24375	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 677-3311	88	11	8.1	95.5%	85 (96.6%)	2 (2.3%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	72.1	319^th of 1111 public elementary schools	71.3%		64.5	429^th of 1110 public elementary schools	61.4%	110	87.5	76.9	84.6			76.9	87.5	84.6	84.6				61.5	$15,481	$3,472	$12,008
Rural Retreat Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Martha Debord Way	Rural Retreat	24368	Wythe County	Wythe County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 686-4125	350	26	13.3	80.9%	331 (94.6%)	2 (0.6%)	8 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	76.6	262^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	76.4%		84.6	134^th of 1110 public elementary schools	87.9%	128	98.0	86.4	77.0			71.6	92.2	90.9	81.1				84.1	$8,409	$1,618	$6,791
Oak Point Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	138 Oak Point Dr	Marion	24354	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 783-2609	352	31	11.3	118.2%	331 (94.0%)	8 (2.3%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.4%)	60.6	467^th of 1111 public elementary schools	58.0%		27.2	860^th of 1110 public elementary schools	22.5%	393	81.6	71.7	76.5			76.5	81.6	69.6	80.4				68.9	$12,216	$1,764	$10,452
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
Speedwell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6820 Cedar Springs Rd	Speedwell	24374	Wythe County	Wythe County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 621-4622	123	12	9.9	82.1%	116 (94.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	83.5	152^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	86.3%		67.1	391^st of 1110 public elementary schools	64.8%	239	95.5	95.2	94.1			81.3	81.8	76.2	93.8				85.7	$11,315	$2,711	$8,604
Chilhowie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	130 East Lee Hwy	Chilhowie	24319	Smyth County	Smyth County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 646-8220	589	41	14.4	100.0%	536 (91.0%)	17 (2.9%)	26 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	72.4	314^th of 1111 public elementary schools	71.7%		79.8	218^th of 1110 public elementary schools	80.4%	96	81.1	85.0	84.5			79.6	67.8	83.8	80.6				84.6	$8,497	$1,350	$7,146
Grayson Highlands	Public	PK, KG-7	6459 Troutdale Hwy.	Troutdale	24378	Grayson County	Grayson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 579-2235	156	15	10.6	95.5%	141 (90.4%)	3 (1.9%)	6 (3.8%)	3 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	62.7	442^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	60.2%		71.8	327^th of 1110 public elementary schools	70.5%	115	79.2	80.0	81.3	71.4	88.9	75.0	75.0	80.0	62.5	78.6	94.4	77.8	80.0	$11,735	$1,203	$10,532

Frequently Asked Questions about Atkins Elementary

How many students attend Atkins Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 168 students attended Atkins Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Atkins Elementary?

Students at Atkins Elementary are 93% White, 7% Hispanic.

What district is Atkins Elementary in?

Smyth County Public Schools

Is Atkins Elementary a good school?

Atkins Elementary ranks 581^st of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Atkins Elementary attend?

Students who attend Atkins Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Marion Middle
High : Marion Senior High

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresNewAug 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.