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Wilderness Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

886^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Wilderness Elementary is a PK-5 school in Spotsylvania, VA, serving 647 students within Spotsylvania County Public Schools. The school has experienced a sustained decline in its statewide ranking, falling from the 60th percentile in 2020-2021 to the 20th percentile in 2025-2026, and currently holds a 1-star rating. It serves a high-poverty population, with 72.3% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, yet maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.3:1.

The most urgent academic concern is 4th grade math, where just 50.52% of students were proficient in 2025-2026, compared with 68.09% districtwide and 73.29% statewide. This is especially notable because 3rd grade math at the same school reached 75.24%, above both district and state averages. Reading proficiency also trails benchmarks across grades 3 through 5, and 5th grade science stands at 50.89% versus 68.75% statewide. The school does have bright spots: English Language Learner students rank in the 71st percentile statewide, a genuine strength worth building on.

The contrast with nearby Battlefield Elementary is instructive. Battlefield, just 4.66 miles away, serves a nearly identical population (73.4% low-income) yet ranks in the 53rd percentile statewide and posts 4th grade math proficiency of 85.96% — a 35-point gap over Wilderness. Chronic absenteeism at Wilderness is 15.7%, better than the district's 19.6%, and per-pupil spending of $9,151 is comparable to peers. These results suggest meaningful room for improvement that is not predetermined by demographics.

647

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,151

Per pupil spending ?

72.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

11600 Catharpin Rd
Spotsylvania, VA 22553

(540) 786-9817

District: Spotsylvania County Public Schools

Students who attend Wilderness Elementary usually attend:

High:

Riverbend High

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.4%

Hispanic:

26.3%

African American:

16.4%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Wilderness Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2016 → 20th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (60% vs 72% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg65%

Virginia avg72%

886^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 17Elementary Schools in the Spotsylvania County Public Schools

95^th of 131Spotsylvania 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	25.7	886 of 1111	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.1	801 of 1110	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.6	710 of 1114	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.5	636 of 1114	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	650 of 1109	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.5	446 of 1103	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.4	640 of 1105	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.9	612 of 1097	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.1	666 of 1099	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	52.3	589 of 1096	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	44.5	710 of 1100	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	48.7	625 of 1110	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.6	794 of 1120	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	53.7	561 of 1117	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	54.4	554 of 1117	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	74.4	196 of 1113	82.4%	★★★★☆
2009	65.9	343 of 1082	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.5	486 of 1081	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	52.9	554 of 1083	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	28.7	915 of 1071	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	29.7	874 of 1062	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	21.8	513 of 591	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	529 of 588	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	468 of 579	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	19.2	355 of 420	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	278 of 324	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	90 of 315	71.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	20.5	938 of 1100	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.9	853 of 1096	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.1	789 of 1098	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.8	722 of 1100	34.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	47.7	338 of 619	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.9	391 of 606	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	379 of 580	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	348 of 564	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	20.4	918 of 1040	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.7	952 of 1046	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	840 of 1036	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	33.9	804 of 1099	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.3	736 of 1093	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.9	647 of 1101	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.0	564 of 1093	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	199 of 206	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	5.3	303 of 306	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.6	189 of 245	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	22.1	841 of 974	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.3	691 of 973	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	57.3	463 of 979	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.1	476 of 984	51.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)71st percentile+51 vs school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile+25 vs school

Male (2026)27th percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2026)15th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)15th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)14th percentile-7 vs school

African American (2026)13th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile-9 vs school

Military Connected (2026)3rd percentile-17 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)1st percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

VA Studies65%-5 vs state

Mathematics62%-11 vs state

English Reading60%-12 vs state

Science51%-18 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, May 29, 2021

I LOVE wilderness and can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t. Teachers and all staff are amazing. Not much staff turnover at all. Great principal and nice families. The student teacher ratio is wonderful as well as access to any resource needed. Fantastic school. Close Quote

Schools Near Wilderness 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
Wilderness Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11600 Catharpin Rd	Spotsylvania	22553	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 786-9817	647	45	14.3	72.3%	281 (43.4%)	106 (16.4%)	170 (26.3%)	11 (1.7%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	73 (11.3%)	25.7	886^th of 1111 public elementary schools	20.3%		33.1	801^st of 1110 public elementary schools	27.8%	85	75.2	50.5	60.2	50.9	55.2	61.9	61.6	65.3	$9,151	$471	$8,679
Chancellor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5995 Plank Rd	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 786-6123	440	25	17.6	22.5%	265 (60.2%)	47 (10.7%)	77 (17.5%)	13 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	34 (7.7%)	76.5	264^th of 1111 public elementary schools	76.2%		75	289^th of 1110 public elementary schools	74.0%	25	87.3	86.4	83.6	74.6	79.8	83.8	82.1	81.8	$9,446	$243	$9,203
Smith Station Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7320 Smith Station Road	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 786-5443	715	43	16.6	72.6%	241 (33.7%)	186 (26.0%)	183 (25.6%)	37 (5.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (9.4%)	48.9	621^st of 1111 public elementary schools	44.1%		42.5	691^st of 1110 public elementary schools	37.7%	70	68.1	70.8	74.5	65.1	66.3	75.2	66.4	81.3	$9,191	$294	$8,898
Brock Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10207 Brock Rd	Spotsylvania	22553	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 972-3870	651	43	15.1	33.0%	384 (59.0%)	65 (10.0%)	116 (17.8%)	11 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	74 (11.4%)	62.8	439^th of 1111 public elementary schools	60.5%		68.8	370^th of 1110 public elementary schools	66.7%	69	74.0	74.8	89.6	85.9	65.0	75.7	76.2	78.4	$8,887	$388	$8,499
Harrison Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6230 Harrison Road	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 548-4864	732	53	13.8	72.8%	217 (29.6%)	120 (16.4%)	315 (43.0%)	23 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (7.5%)	14.3	994^th of 1111 public elementary schools	10.5%		17.5	955^th of 1110 public elementary schools	14.0%	39	58.0	68.1	44.4	46.3	45.5	61.6	49.1	49.4	$9,593	$1,277	$8,316
Battlefield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11108 Leavells Road	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 786-4532	665	40	16.6	73.4%	218 (32.8%)	106 (15.9%)	255 (38.3%)	31 (4.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.0%)	57.2	519^th of 1111 public elementary schools	53.3%		40.1	721^st of 1110 public elementary schools	35.0%	202	79.0	86.0	84.2	73.7	60.7	66.7	75.8	71.6	$8,445	$628	$7,817
Courthouse Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9911 Courthouse Rd	Spotsylvania	22553	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 891-0400	762	52	14.6	73.2%	293 (38.5%)	165 (21.7%)	197 (25.9%)	24 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (10.8%)	45.7	667^th of 1111 public elementary schools	40.0%		38.6	731^st of 1110 public elementary schools	34.1%	64	59.8	76.5	75.6	64.6	55.6	74.2	70.1	76.6	$8,850	$427	$8,423
Courtland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6601 Smith Station Rd	Spotsylvania	22553	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 898-5422	548	37	14.8	40.7%	245 (44.7%)	67 (12.2%)	159 (29.0%)	18 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.6%)	53.3	576^th of 1111 public elementary schools	48.2%		46.7	645^th of 1110 public elementary schools	41.9%	69	78.9	74.0	79.8	66.7	72.6	71.6	68.2	67.8	$9,674	$573	$9,101
Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4501 Jackson Rd	Fredericksburg	22407	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 786-8218	573	42	13.6	64.9%	139 (24.3%)	146 (25.5%)	216 (37.7%)	20 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	49 (8.6%)	27.4	873^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	21.4%		28.6	842^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	24.1%	31	57.1	58.6	79.8	66.3	44.1	58.6	70.8	46.3	$9,880	$1,114	$8,765
Spotsylvania Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7415 Brock Road	Spotsylvania	22553	Spotsylvania County	Spotsylvania County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 582-5445	623	34	18.3	65.0%	307 (49.3%)	124 (19.9%)	108 (17.3%)	10 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	70 (11.2%)	16.5	975^th of 1111 public elementary schools	12.2%		23.7	888^th of 1110 public elementary schools	20.0%	87	56.3	58.3	61.2	45.7	45.8	64.0	53.5	56.6	$7,509	$242	$7,268

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilderness Elementary

What schools do graduates of Wilderness Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wilderness Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Riverbend High

What district is Wilderness Elementary in?

Spotsylvania County Public Schools

How many students attend Wilderness Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 647 students attended Wilderness Elementary.

Is Wilderness Elementary a good school?

Wilderness Elementary ranks in the bottom 20.3% of Virginia elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Wilderness Elementary?

Students at Wilderness Elementary are 43% White, 26% Hispanic, 16% African American, 11% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Rate Wilderness Elementary!

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Schools in Spotsylvania, VA

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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.