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Booker T. Washington Elementary

Q: Is Booker T. Washington Elementary a good school?

Booker T. Washington Elementary ranks 764 th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

764^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,111 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Booker T. Washington Elementary is a small PK–5 school in Suffolk, VA, serving 362 students within the Suffolk City Public Schools district. The school supports a high-poverty population — 70.4% of students qualified for free/reduced lunch in 2024-25 — a rate very similar to neighboring elementary schools. The standout feature of the school's profile is its recent upward trajectory: after ranking in the 2nd percentile statewide in 2015-16, Booker T. Washington now ranks in the 31st percentile, jumping from a 1-star to a 2-star rating in a single year.

The school posted very large test-score gains from 2024-25 to 2025-26 in nearly every subject. Third grade math rose from 46.7% to 65.0% proficiency, 5th grade math improved from 55.0% to 72.5% (now essentially matching the state average of 72.4%), and 4th grade reading climbed from 61.7% to 73.9% (also at the state average). The exception was 4th grade math, which declined from 72.3% to 63.1% — a concern despite the overall positive momentum. Chronic absenteeism fell sharply from 33.8% in 2021-22 to 14.2% in 2024-25, now below both the district rate of 17.6% and the state rate of 14.8%. These gains position the school above several nearby peers, including Hillpoint Elementary and Elephant's Fork Elementary, though a significant gap remains with top local performers like Oakland Elementary.

Booker T. Washington spends considerably more per student than its neighbors — $12,312 in 2023-24, versus $8,640 at Oakland Elementary, $7,668 at Creekside Elementary, and $6,667 at Florence Bowser Elementary — and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 14.4, lower than most same-district peers. However, several lower-spending schools still post stronger academic outcomes, suggesting the extra investment has not yet fully translated into competitive results. On a positive note, the school is becoming markedly more effective for its low-income students, with that subgroup's statewide ranking improving from the 21st to the 49th percentile in one year. The main challenge ahead is sustaining this momentum, especially in 3rd grade reading, where 55.0% proficiency trails the state average of 67.6%.

362

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,143

Per pupil spending ?

70.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

204 Walnut Street
Suffolk, VA 23434

(757) 934-6226

District: Suffolk City Public Schools

Students who attend Booker T. Washington Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	John F. Kennedy Middle
High:	Lakeland High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

76.5%

White:

10.8%

Two or more races:

6.6%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Booker T. Washington Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 2nd percentile in 2016 → 31st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 29 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Virginia average (66% vs 72% meeting standards)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg71%

Virginia avg72%

764^th of 1,111

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▲ up 29 pts since 2016

From bottom 2% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Suffolk City Public Schools

72^nd of 131Suffolk City 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	37.3	764 of 1111	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.1	960 of 1110	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.3	849 of 1114	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.5	838 of 1114	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	976 of 1109	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.7	935 of 1103	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.4	1009 of 1105	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.2	986 of 1097	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	8.7	1052 of 1099	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	4.5	1077 of 1096	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	19.1	986 of 1100	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	13.6	1053 of 1110	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	17.4	1030 of 1120	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	17.5	1045 of 1117	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	42.5	754 of 1117	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.8	769 of 1113	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	39.4	800 of 1082	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	26.9	933 of 1081	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	39.5	759 of 1083	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	27.0	934 of 1071	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	22.5	942 of 1062	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	356 of 591	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.9	478 of 579	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.0	303 of 588	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.1	335 of 579	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	30.0	835 of 1100	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.2	978 of 1096	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	869 of 1098	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.7	689 of 1100	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	51.7	526 of 1040	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.2	829 of 1046	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.6	645 of 1036	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	44.3	678 of 1099	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.2	912 of 1093	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.2	771 of 1101	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.2	917 of 1093	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	73.9	217 of 974	77.7%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)78th percentile+46 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile+18 vs school

African American (2026)40th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)38th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)24th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics67%-6 vs state

English Reading67%-4 vs state

VA Studies65%-6 vs state

Science61%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Booker T. Washington 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	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Booker T. Washington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	204 Walnut Street	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 934-6226	362	25	14.4	70.4%	39 (10.8%)	277 (76.5%)	21 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.6%)	37.3	764^th of 1111 public elementary schools	31.2%		17.1	960^th of 1110 public elementary schools	13.5%	196	65.0	63.1	72.5	60.9	55.0	73.9	71.0	64.6		$12,143	$2,001	$10,143
Mack Benn Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1253 Nansemond Pkwy	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 934-6224	713	44	16.2	69.3%	105 (14.7%)	480 (67.3%)	72 (10.1%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	50 (7.0%)	32.6	814^th of 1111 public elementary schools	26.7%		35.4	766^th of 1110 public elementary schools	31.0%	48	60.2	76.3	57.1	58.1	50.4	77.4	64.8	66.7		$8,672	$996	$7,676
Kilby Shores Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Kilby Shores Dr	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 934-6214	494	29	17.0	69.2%	179 (36.2%)	211 (42.7%)	52 (10.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	45 (9.1%)	39.6	738^th of 1111 public elementary schools	33.6%		52.1	573^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	48.4%	165	80.0	71.3	62.1	59.1	64.3	75.5	62.1	56.4		$9,378	$813	$8,565
Elephant's Fork Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2316 William Reid Dr	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 923-5250	653	36	18.1	69.1%	140 (21.4%)	408 (62.5%)	56 (8.6%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.9%)	26.9	877^th of 1111 public elementary schools	21.1%		21.1	916^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.5%	39	72.9	60.2	43.4	49.1	64.7	69.9	63.2	59.2		$8,032	$811	$7,221
Hillpoint Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1101 Hillpoint Rd	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 925-6750	780	39	20.0	69.2%	143 (18.3%)	479 (61.4%)	81 (10.4%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (7.9%)	27.9	869^th of 1111 public elementary schools	21.8%		28.3	846^th of 1110 public elementary schools	23.8%	23	57.3	67.5	68.6	48.6	52.9	68.8	62.3	65.1		$6,734	$675	$6,059
Nansemond Parkway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3012 Nansemond Pkwy	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 923-4167	456	29	15.7	69.3%	135 (29.6%)	245 (53.7%)	31 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.4%)	48.6	622^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	44.0%		53.3	562^nd of 1110 public elementary schools	49.4%	60	59.2	82.7	76.4	65.5	46.7	80.0	74.6	77.3		$9,974	$968	$9,006
Florence Bowser Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4540 Nansemond Pkwy	Suffolk	23435	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 923-4106	926	44	21.0	69.3%	350 (37.8%)	358 (38.7%)	128 (13.8%)	12 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (8.3%)	54.5	564^th of 1111 public elementary schools	49.2%		66.4	401^st of 1110 public elementary schools	63.9%	163	70.1	76.7	76.9	71.4	60.5	76.7	77.4	74.1		$6,438	$160	$6,278
Oakland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5505 Godwin Blvd	Suffolk	23434	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(757) 923-5248	464	26	17.8	68.8%	137 (29.5%)	245 (52.8%)	34 (7.3%)	4 (0.9%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.4%)	71.5	329^th of 1111 public elementary schools	70.4%		77.3	258^th of 1110 public elementary schools	76.8%	71	93.3	79.4	89.6	79.1	81.4	76.2	86.6	61.9		$9,197	$657	$8,540
Southwestern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Pioneer Rd	Suffolk	23437	Suffolk city	Suffolk City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 925-5782	579	31	18.6	69.4%	324 (56.0%)	153 (26.4%)	53 (9.2%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.3%)	68.1	372^nd of 1111 public elementary schools	66.5%		64.8	423^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	61.9%	51	71.8	81.5	92.7	81.5	63.1	87.0	78.1	85.7		$8,416	$542	$7,874
Southwestern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	109 Benefit Road	Chesapeake	23322	Chesapeake city	Chesapeake City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 465-6310	549	40	13.5	74.1%	69 (12.6%)	383 (69.8%)	59 (10.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.0%)	63.6	431^st of 1111 public elementary schools	61.2%		57.2	514^th of 1110 public elementary schools	53.7%	83	81.6	85.5	78.8	70.4	75.9	73.2	73.4	67.9	87.3	$12,513	$1,518	$10,995

Frequently Asked Questions about Booker T. Washington Elementary

How many students attend Booker T. Washington Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 362 students attended Booker T. Washington Elementary.

Is Booker T. Washington Elementary a good school?

Booker T. Washington Elementary ranks 764^th of 1111 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Booker T. Washington Elementary?

Students at Booker T. Washington Elementary are 77% African American, 11% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

What district is Booker T. Washington Elementary in?

Suffolk City Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Booker T. Washington Elementary attend?

Students who attend Booker T. Washington Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : John F. Kennedy Middle
High : Lakeland High

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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.