Summary:
ZIP code 20151 in Chantilly, Virginia is served by two elementary schools – Brookfield Elementary and Poplar Tree Elementary – both part of Fairfax County Public Schools, serving grades PK through 6. The schools are nearly identical in size (684 and 683 students, respectively) and have almost the same student-teacher ratio (13.7 vs. 13.8), yet they offer vastly different educational experiences.
Poplar Tree Elementary is the clear standout, ranking 45th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools for 2025-2026 with a 5-star rating and placing in the 96th percentile for three consecutive years. It exceeds district and state averages in nearly every subject; for example, 3rd-grade math proficiency is 95.45% compared with 75.58% at Brookfield Elementary, and reading scores range from 86.96% to 96.67% across grades 3-6. By contrast, Brookfield Elementary ranks 916th (18th percentile) with a 1-star rating. In every subject and grade, Poplar Tree outperforms Brookfield by 20 to 40 percentage points. Brookfield also has an 81.87% free/reduced lunch rate versus just 10.25% at Poplar Tree, and chronic absenteeism of 13.5% versus 8.0%.
Interestingly, Brookfield spends more per student ($14,547 vs. $11,587) yet achieves far lower outcomes, highlighting that the challenges of poverty and attendance outweigh additional funding. The good news is that Brookfield is improving, with 5th-grade math jumping from 21.13% to 46.03% and 5th-grade science from 34.41% to 53.33% over the past year. Poplar Tree also offers Algebra I to 6th graders with 100% proficiency, showing a strong advanced math pathway. In short, parents in 20151 have two very different public school options: Poplar Tree is an elite, consistently high-performing school, while Brookfield is a struggling school that is gradually improving but remains well below district and state averages.
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