Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 22153

Zip code 22153 in Springfield, Virginia is home to three elementary schools—Sangster Elementary, Saratoga Elementary, and Newington Forest Elementary—all part of Fairfax County Public Schools, serving grades PK–6 with a combined enrollment of 2,119 students.

These three schools sit at very different achievement levels despite sharing a district. Sangster is a true standout: it ranks #3 in Virginia out of 1,111 elementary schools with a 5-star rating and 100th percentile placement. Its average SOL proficiency is around 97%, and a remarkably low 3.66% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Newington Forest lands in the middle, ranking 390th with a 3-star rating and solidly average scores—about 77.6% proficiency and 25.73% free/reduced lunch eligibility. Saratoga is the most challenged school in the zip code, ranking 679th with 2 stars and only about 69% proficiency. It also has the highest poverty rate at 42.16%, and its ranking has declined each of the past three years. Notably, Saratoga spends the most per student ($13,374) and has the smallest class sizes (11.9:1), but that extra investment has not closed the gap with its higher-performing neighbors.

Perhaps the most striking takeaway is how, in 2025–2026, Sangster’s lowest subject score (91.8% in 5th grade math) was still higher than the highest score at either Newington Forest (82.6%) or Saratoga (74.4%). Spending, meanwhile, appears inversely related to outcomes—Sangster spends the least per student yet achieves the best results. Chronic absenteeism is not a differentiator here: all three schools are below the district rate of 11.9%, with Sangster at just 5.2%. Saratoga shows a notable weakness in 5th grade, with math and reading proficiency in the 60s, while Sangster offers 6th graders the chance to take Algebra I with 100% proficiency. For parents, the zip code offers a clear spectrum: an elite option at Sangster, a solid middle choice at Newington Forest, and a higher-need school at Saratoga where additional resources have yet to translate into comparable test scores.