Summary:
Zip code 20186 in Warrenton, VA is served by two elementary schools — James G. Brumfield Elementary and C.M. Bradley Elementary — both part of Fauquier County Public Schools, a district ranked 56th out of 131 in Virginia with a 3-star rating. Both schools serve grades PK-5, with Brumfield enrolling 496 students and Bradley enrolling 362.
In the most recent school year, the two schools are nearly identical: Brumfield ranks 561st in Virginia and Bradley ranks 562nd, with overall SOL proficiency of 73.1% and 73.3%, respectively. However, they arrived there very differently. Bradley has been the steadier performer, hovering near the 50th percentile statewide for three straight years, while Brumfield rebounded dramatically from a difficult 2024-25 year (64.4% proficiency, 31st percentile) to a 50th-percentile ranking in 2025-26. Brumfield posted double-digit gains in 3rd grade math, 3rd grade reading, and 5th grade reading. Both schools share a notable 4th grade weak spot — in math and reading, both fall below district and state averages — while excelling in 5th grade reading (80.3% and 82.1% vs. the state's 72.4%) and 5th grade science (71.1% and 75.0% vs. the state's 68.8%).
Resources tell an interesting story: Bradley spends significantly more per student ($14,759 vs. $11,971) and has smaller classes (12.9 vs. 14.1 student-teacher ratio), yet does not clearly outperform Brumfield academically. Brumfield, despite similar poverty levels (34.9% vs. 30.9% free/reduced lunch), has a standout chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.0% — nearly half of Bradley's 12.8% and well below the district's 12.9% and state's 14.8%. Both schools carry only 2-star ratings despite sitting near the middle of the pack statewide. For parents, the key takeaway is that both schools offer solid, comparable academics with genuine strengths in upper-elementary subjects, but the shared 4th grade dip represents a clear opportunity for district-level improvement.
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