Summary:
Zip code 24015 is home to four elementary schools — Grandin Court Elementary, Fishburn Park Elementary, Wasena Elementary, and Virginia Heights Elementary — all part of Roanoke City Public Schools and serving grades PK-5 with a combined enrollment of 1,102 students. These schools serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility at or near 100%, yet academic results vary dramatically from one school to the next.
Grandin Court Elementary and Wasena Elementary are the clear standouts. Grandin Court ranks in the 77th percentile statewide (250 of 1,111) with about 83% average SOL proficiency and just 6.3% chronic absenteeism. Wasena has surged from the 38th percentile in 2023-24 to the 72nd percentile in 2025-26, posting the highest average SOL proficiency of the four schools at 83.4% — including a perfect 100% on 5th-grade math and 97% on 5th-grade science. Both schools outperform the state average in most subjects despite serving essentially 100% economically disadvantaged populations. By contrast, Fishburn Park Elementary (32nd percentile) and Virginia Heights Elementary (29th percentile) lag well behind, with average proficiency around 67% and 63% respectively.
Chronic absenteeism closely tracks performance: the highest-achieving schools have the lowest absenteeism (6.3% and 9.3%), while the lower-performing schools have rates near the state average of 14.8%. Notably, spending and class size do not explain the outcomes — Virginia Heights Elementary spends the most per student ($17,055) yet is the lowest performer, while Wasena Elementary spends the least ($12,172) and is among the best. Even the lower-performing schools in this cluster are relative bright spots, generally beating the low district averages. For families in this area, Grandin Court and Wasena are the top choices, with Fishburn Park and Virginia Heights offering solid alternatives within the district.
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