Summary:
ZIP code 22153 in Springfield, VA is home to three public elementary schools—Sangster Elementary, Saratoga Elementary, and Newington Forest Elementary—all part of Fairfax County Public Schools, serving grades PK–6.
These three schools, despite sitting in the same district and ZIP code, offer very different academic experiences. Sangster is an elite, top-ranked school: it places 3rd out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools with a 5-star rating and nearly every SOL proficiency score above 90%. Newington Forest is a solid mid-tier performer, ranking 390th (65th percentile) with proficiency around 78%, generally above state averages. Saratoga struggles by comparison, ranking 679th (39th percentile) with about 69% proficiency—below both district and state averages. The differences track closely with poverty rates: Sangster has only 3.66% of students on free/reduced lunch, Newington Forest 25.73%, and Saratoga 42.16%.
Notably, Saratoga actually spends the most per student ($13,374) and has the smallest class sizes (11.9 student-teacher ratio), yet scores the lowest—while Sangster spends the least ($9,898) and has the largest classes (17.2). This shows money and class size alone don't guarantee high scores; Saratoga likely needs extra resources to support a higher-need population. Chronic absenteeism is low at all three schools (5.2%–9.8%), well below district and state averages. One area of concern is 6th grade math, where both Newington Forest (63.9%) and Saratoga (66.1%) fall below the district average. Saratoga’s state rank has also declined steadily over three years, suggesting it may need targeted support. For families, school choice matters greatly even within a single ZIP code.
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