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Southwestern Elementary

Q: Is Southwestern Elementary a good school?

Southwestern Elementary ranks 423 rd of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

423^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,110 Virginia Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Virginia elementary schools

Summary

Southwestern Elementary is a public elementary school in Suffolk, Virginia, serving 609 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Suffolk City Public Schools district, which is ranked 74 out of 129 districts in the state.

Southwestern Elementary has shown mixed performance on SOL (Standards of Learning) assessments compared to the district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school outperformed the district and state in mathematics for grades 3-5, as well as in English reading for grades 4-5. However, the school's performance in science and VA studies for 4th grade was lower than the district and state. The school's performance has fluctuated over the years, with some years showing higher proficiency rates and other years lower rates compared to the district and state. Southwestern Elementary also has relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.4% to 20.4% in recent years, which is higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Oakland Elementary consistently outperforms Southwestern Elementary on SOL assessments and has a higher statewide ranking, while Mack Benn Junior Elementary and Hillpoint Elementary generally perform lower. Riverdale Elementary, in the neighboring Southampton County district, outperforms Southwestern Elementary on most SOL assessments and has a higher statewide ranking.

579

Students ?

18.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,804

Per pupil spending ?

69.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

150 Pioneer Rd
Suffolk, VA 23437

(757) 925-5782

District: Suffolk City Public Schools

Students who attend Southwestern Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Forest Glen Middle
High:	Lakeland High

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.0%

African American:

26.4%

Hispanic:

9.2%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 46th percentile in 2013 → 62nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Virginia average (77% vs 71% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2013

✓Above the Virginia median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school77%

District avg70%

Virginia avg71%

423^rd of 1,110

Virginia public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 4 pts since 2017

From top 35% (2017) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

74^th of 129Suffolk 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
2025	64.8	423 of 1110	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.8	642 of 1114	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.1	592 of 1114	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.6	540 of 1109	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.3	698 of 1103	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.7	535 of 1105	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.5	438 of 1097	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.9	380 of 1099	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.1	538 of 1110	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.6	606 of 1120	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.0	575 of 1117	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.0	580 of 1117	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	61.5	420 of 1113	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	59.3	441 of 1082	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	60.8	428 of 1081	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.6	260 of 1083	76.0%	★★★★☆
2006	55.9	506 of 1071	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	58.5	457 of 1062	57.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	66.1	178 of 579	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.3	207 of 588	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.0	201 of 579	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	62.2	429 of 1096	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.8	674 of 1098	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.0	577 of 1100	47.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	82.2	77 of 606	87.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	63.7	349 of 1046	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.8	514 of 1036	50.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	64.9	398 of 1093	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.0	615 of 1101	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.3	586 of 1093	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	36.1	138 of 192	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.2	137 of 195	29.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2024	9.4	240 of 247	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	54.7	489 of 973	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.0	794 of 979	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.0	813 of 984	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)87th percentile+25 vs school

African American (2025)69th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)64th percentile~ school

Female (2025)61st percentile~ school

White (2025)50th percentile-12 vs school

Military Connected (2025)28th percentile-34 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)3rd percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics80%+8 vs state

Science79%+10 vs state

English Reading75%+4 vs state

VA Studies67%~ state avg

5.0

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Schools Near Southwestern 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Mathematics (2025)				SOL Science (2025)	SOL English Reading (2025)				SOL VA Studies (2025)		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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th 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 VA Studies 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	64.8	423^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	61.9%		47.8	642^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	42.4%	219	81.2	81.9	77.9		79.0	72.9	73.5	77.2		67.1		$7,804	$717	$7,087
Carrsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5355 Carrsville Hwy	Carrsville	23315	Isle of Wight County	Isle of Wight County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 357-8844	232	16	14.9	69.4%	163 (70.3%)	33 (14.2%)	17 (7.3%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.9%)	78.9	234^th of 1110 public elementary schools	78.9%		75.5	273^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	75.5%	39	87.9	91.8	89.7		71.8	63.6	87.8	89.7		89.8		$11,625	$1,032	$10,592
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%)	52.1	573^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	48.4%		46.4	653^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	41.4%	80	81.3	71.8	71.8		76.1	65.6	70.0	66.2		65.7		$9,375	$1,045	$8,330
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%)	17.1	960^th of 1110 public elementary schools	13.5%		29.3	849^th of 1114 public elementary schools	23.8%	111	46.7	72.3	55.0		46.2	45.0	61.7	57.5		45.7		$12,312	$2,563	$9,749
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%)	21.1	916^th of 1110 public elementary schools	17.5%		30.6	836^th of 1114 public elementary schools	25.0%	80	69.4	50.4	49.4		51.2	65.4	54.9	58.0		47.3		$8,038	$1,038	$6,999
S.P. Morton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	300 Morton Street	Franklin	23851	Franklin city	Franklin City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 562-5458	620	40	15.5	101.5%	84 (13.5%)	463 (74.7%)	34 (5.5%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.3%)	3.4	1086^th of 1110 public elementary schools	2.2%		3.8	1093^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	1.9%	7	17.5	18.0	25.7	18.6	45.7	17.5	40.3	51.4	34.3	48.7		$10,602	$2,051	$8,552
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%)	28.3	846^th of 1110 public elementary schools	23.8%		32.6	805^th of 1114 public elementary schools	27.7%	41	70.6	63.5	62.0		51.8	60.8	65.3	58.6		50.5		$6,465	$664	$5,801
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%)	35.4	766^th of 1110 public elementary schools	31.0%		29.3	850^th of 1114 public elementary schools	23.7%	84	75.8	61.7	68.5		64.0	58.6	63.6	67.8		53.9		$8,133	$1,251	$6,882
Windsor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20008 Courthouse Hwy	Windsor	23487	Isle of Wight County	Isle of Wight County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 242-4193	624	46	13.6	72.0%	441 (70.7%)	91 (14.6%)	35 (5.6%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (8.3%)	67.4	388^th of 1110 public elementary schools	65.0%		74.3	293^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	73.7%	95	87.9	89.3	77.6		66.3	68.9	85.0	72.5		80.4		$10,867	$1,032	$9,834
Riverdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	31023 Camp Parkway	Courtland	23837	Southampton County	Southampton County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(757) 562-3007	533	33	15.9	91.2%	265 (49.7%)	224 (42.0%)	17 (3.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (3.8%)	67.2	390^th of 1110 public elementary schools	64.9%		63.1	451^st of 1114 public elementary schools	59.5%	61	85.4	92.8	83.1		74.7	64.6	75.4	67.6			88.6	$7,413	$793	$6,621

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwestern Elementary

Is Southwestern Elementary a good school?

Southwestern Elementary ranks 423^rd of 1110 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Southwestern Elementary attend?

Students who attend Southwestern Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Forest Glen Middle
High : Lakeland High

What is the racial makeup of Southwestern Elementary?

Students at Southwestern Elementary are 56% White, 26% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Southwestern Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 579 students attended Southwestern Elementary.

What district is Southwestern Elementary in?

Suffolk City Public Schools

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

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

2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2025

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.