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Hartwood Elementary

Q: Is Hartwood Elementary a good school?

Hartwood Elementary ranks 273 rd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

273^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 75% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Hartwood Elementary is a K-5 school in Fredericksburg, VA, serving 627 students as part of Stafford County Public Schools. Despite its district ranking only in the 44th percentile statewide, Hartwood stands out as a high performer, ranked 273rd out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools in the 75th percentile with a 4-star rating. The school has climbed steadily from the 40th percentile in 2018-2019 to its current position, showing sustained improvement over the past several years.

Hartwood outperformed both the district and Virginia averages on every reported SOL subject and grade level in the 2025-2026 testing cycle. For example, 5th graders posted an 85.71% proficiency rate in math versus a 72.39% state average, and 5th grade science hit 81.75% compared to 68.75% statewide. The school also boasts exceptionally low chronic absenteeism at 8.8% – roughly half the district rate of 17.5% – a strong indicator of student engagement and a positive school climate.

Hartwood is particularly effective at supporting students who face additional challenges. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds rank in the 86th percentile statewide, military-connected students in the 77th percentile, and disabled students in the 70th percentile. With a student-teacher ratio of 14.9 and per-pupil spending of about $10,068, Hartwood compares favorably to similar high performers like Chancellor Elementary, which has a higher student-teacher ratio of 17.6. The contrast with nearby schools serving higher-poverty populations — such as Rocky Run Elementary, Falmouth Elementary, and Hugh Mercer Elementary — is stark. Hartwood's combination of strong academics, excellent attendance, and effective support for students at all levels makes it one of the most effective elementary schools in the Fredericksburg area.

627

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,724

Per pupil spending ?

30.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

14 Shackleford Well Rd
Fredericksburg, VA 22406

(540) 752-4441

District: Stafford County Public Schools

Students who attend Hartwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	T. Benton Gayle Middle
High:	Mountain View High

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.8%

Hispanic:

17.4%

African American:

15.3%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Hartwood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 47th percentile in 2016 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

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

✓Ranks in the top 25% of Virginia elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg69%

Virginia avg72%

273^rd of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 25%▲ up 28 pts since 2016

From bottom 47% (2016) to top 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 17Elementary Schools in the Stafford County Public Schools

74^th of 131Stafford 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	75.6	273 of 1111	75.4%	★★★★☆
2025	70.8	345 of 1110	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.0	296 of 1114	73.4%	★★★★☆
2023	58.0	507 of 1114	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.5	520 of 1109	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	472 of 1103	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.0	662 of 1105	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.2	580 of 1097	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	64.2	396 of 1099	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.9	577 of 1096	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	63.3	415 of 1100	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.3	488 of 1110	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	71.9	274 of 1120	75.5%	★★★★☆
2012	70.1	281 of 1117	74.8%	★★★★☆
2011	43.8	735 of 1117	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	59.6	455 of 1113	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	37.3	826 of 1082	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	43.6	724 of 1081	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	42.7	714 of 1083	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	58.2	462 of 1071	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	47.5	624 of 1062	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	88.9	32 of 591	94.6%	★★★★★
2025	88.0	31 of 579	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	69.1	166 of 588	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	50.9	321 of 579	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	66.1	125 of 420	70.2%	★★★★☆
2024	51.7	214 of 355	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	73.4	285 of 1100	74.1%	★★★★☆
2025	71.7	308 of 1096	71.9%	★★★★☆
2024	73.0	291 of 1098	73.5%	★★★★☆
2023	59.6	464 of 1100	57.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	71.8	146 of 619	76.4%	★★★★☆
2025	71.4	154 of 606	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	75.8	112 of 580	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	63.7	203 of 564	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	76.9	150 of 1040	85.6%	★★★★☆
2025	62.1	375 of 1046	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.7	264 of 1036	74.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	73.8	274 of 1099	75.1%	★★★★☆
2025	66.7	372 of 1093	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.1	312 of 1101	71.7%	★★★★☆
2023	53.1	549 of 1093	49.8%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	70.7	47 of 206	77.2%	★★★★☆
2025	63.7	69 of 192	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.5	128 of 195	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.0	70 of 182	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	31.2	238 of 306	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.4	150 of 245	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	370 of 974	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.5	505 of 973	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.6	358 of 979	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.9	628 of 984	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)95th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile+10 vs school

Military Connected (2026)77th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)76th percentile~ school

Male (2026)75th percentile~ school

Female (2026)74th percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)70th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)62nd percentile-13 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)22nd percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics85%+12 vs state

Science82%+13 vs state

VA Studies81%+10 vs state

English Reading80%+9 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 6, 2012

Horrible experience for new student / family to Hartwood community. Irresponsible teaching standards. One star is a stretch.
I feel certain my Kindergartener was mistreated by his teachers from day one. Who, WHO sends 5 year old to the Principal’s Office on day two of school for being hyper? Kids are excited and of focus. A 5 year old! We've withdrawn our student from this school.
Things to expect:
- Very unprofessional office staff. Talk about students in front of strangers; dress for shopping at Wal-mart (flipflops, tank tops, capris); complain about helping parents and students. Very rude on phone and in person.
- School Principal - very young. Little actual educator experience. No patients with young students. Talks down to parents “in his experience...”
- Poor parent / teacher communication. Relies on twice a year conference (you set up) and a "take home communicator. We received no info prior to our withdrawal that here was a problem. Teacher told us after the fact that “I had concerns about..." Well don't keep it a secret! I can't intervene if I don’t know, and a 5 year old can't be expected to explain what is happening at school. What is a Principal to a kid who has had two days of school????
- Poor communications in general. New parents are treated just like parents whose children have been attending this educational prison for years. For example, pick up and drop off of your child was not explained until day three. Two days of anguish over the care of our 5 year old.
- You supply the school and kids. Expected to provide a year's worth of school supplies, volunteer for all functions and run the school for the staff. Well I have a day job too.
- Transportation is decent - until the bus broke down on day three and left students stranded. A back up came along in about 30 minutes and missed the remaining kids on the route. Way to go - leave a kid standing on the corner in the rain - no call or explanation.
Just a horrible, unprofessional experience. Save your money and go private or move away. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, September 6, 2012

Schools Near Hartwood 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Hartwood Elementary	Public	K-5	14 Shackleford Well Rd	Fredericksburg	22406	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 752-4441	627	42	14.9	30.0%	356 (56.8%)	96 (15.3%)	109 (17.4%)	23 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.9%)	75.6	273^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	75.4%		70.8	345^th of 1110 public elementary schools	68.9%	72	82.5	86.0	85.7	81.8	74.2	79.8	85.7	80.6	$11,724	$330	$11,394
Rocky Run Elementary	Public	K-5	95 Reservoir Rd	Fredericksburg	22406	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 286-1956	911	62	14.6	75.2%	280 (30.7%)	245 (26.9%)	180 (19.8%)	102 (11.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	100 (11.0%)	29.8	844^th of 1111 public elementary schools	24.0%		28.3	848^th of 1110 public elementary schools	23.6%	4	62.2	59.1	78.2	65.2	60.7	55.7	64.2	52.1	$11,168	$625	$10,543
Margaret Brent Elementary	Public	K-5	2125 Mountain View Rd	Stafford	22556	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 658-6790	796	48	16.5	22.7%	481 (60.4%)	72 (9.0%)	160 (20.1%)	12 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.6%)	66 (8.3%)	68.8	363^rd of 1111 public elementary schools	67.3%		78.1	247^th of 1110 public elementary schools	77.7%	116	83.6	78.5	85.1	80.4	75.0	80.5	85.8	65.4	$10,206	$155	$10,051
Winding Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	475 Winding Creek Rd	Stafford	22554	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 658-6400	840	54	15.5	35.0%	296 (35.2%)	199 (23.7%)	184 (21.9%)	86 (10.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	72 (8.6%)	57	524^th of 1111 public elementary schools	52.8%		61.7	459^th of 1110 public elementary schools	58.6%	65	69.3	79.4	74.9	72.4	62.1	77.6	75.8	80.7	$10,235	$133	$10,102
Garrisonville Elementary	Public	K-5	100 Wood Dr	Stafford	22556	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 658-6260	735	47	15.6	37.6%	314 (42.7%)	118 (16.1%)	217 (29.5%)	28 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	53 (7.2%)	55.7	544^th of 1111 public elementary schools	51.0%		59.2	484^th of 1110 public elementary schools	56.4%	60	77.4	77.4	82.4	72.1	60.0	75.4	71.6	70.8	$10,057	$141	$9,915
Rockhill Elementary	Public	K-5	50 Wood Dr	Stafford	22556	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 658-6360	639	41	15.5	42.6%	264 (41.3%)	89 (13.9%)	177 (27.7%)	35 (5.5%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.5%)	67 (10.5%)	53.3	574^th of 1111 public elementary schools	48.3%		61.9	455^th of 1110 public elementary schools	59.0%	119	83.2	71.4	73.5	59.8	78.2	72.4	74.1	65.7	$11,206	$268	$10,938
Falmouth Elementary	Public	K-5	1000 Forbes St	Falmouth	22405	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 373-7458	724	51	14.1	78.7%	240 (33.1%)	181 (25.0%)	166 (22.9%)	53 (7.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (11.5%)	30.3	839^th of 1111 public elementary schools	24.5%		26.1	871^st of 1110 public elementary schools	21.5%	32	61.5	65.7	61.1	63.2	50.9	64.9	66.1	69.4	$12,314	$717	$11,596
Park Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	2000 Parkway Blvd	Stafford	22554	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 658-6320	908	56	16.2	33.7%	298 (32.8%)	277 (30.5%)	169 (18.6%)	61 (6.7%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	98 (10.8%)	51.3	596^th of 1111 public elementary schools	46.4%		43.5	682^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	38.6%	86	73.0	77.9	76.1	58.1	69.7	78.5	63.0	78.3	$9,435	$155	$9,279
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	$8,939	$57	$8,883
Conway Elementary	Public	K-5	105 Primmer House Road	Fredericksburg	22405	Stafford County	Stafford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 361-1455	904	61	14.8	47.2%	355 (39.3%)	203 (22.5%)	185 (20.5%)	83 (9.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	74 (8.2%)	31.4	828^th of 1111 public elementary schools	25.5%		42.3	695^th of 1110 public elementary schools	37.4%	133	63.1	69.0	66.2	58.5	52.5	70.1	67.6	57.6	$11,413	$502	$10,911

Frequently Asked Questions about Hartwood Elementary

Is Hartwood Elementary a good school?

Hartwood Elementary ranks 273^rd of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Hartwood Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 627 students attended Hartwood Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Hartwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hartwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : T. Benton Gayle Middle
High : Mountain View High

What district is Hartwood Elementary in?

Stafford County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Hartwood Elementary?

Students at Hartwood Elementary are 57% White, 17% Hispanic, 15% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

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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.