Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 24018

Zip code 24018 in Roanoke, Virginia, is served by five public elementary schools from Roanoke County Public Schools, a top-ranked district in the state, offering grades PK-5 to about 2,054 students. All five schools perform well above state averages, making this a strong area for elementary education, though there are meaningful differences in academic outcomes, spending, and attendance trends.

Back Creek Elementary and Penn Forest Elementary are the strongest overall. Back Creek posts the highest test proficiency (91.4% average) and the lowest poverty rate, while Penn Forest is the most consistent, ranking in the 80s out of over 1,100 schools for three straight years with the lowest chronic absenteeism (4.1%). Cave Spring Elementary is also a reliable high performer, especially in 5th grade science (97.8% proficiency). Green Valley Elementary has improved dramatically, rising from 406th to 237th in the state despite spending the least per student. Oak Grove Elementary is the outlier: it spends the most per student ($11,876) and has the smallest class sizes, yet ranks lowest and has been declining for three years, with the highest absenteeism (10.5%).

Across the zip code, 5th grade science is a clear strength (93.1% proficiency), while 3rd grade reading is the relative weak point (82.1%), though still far above the state average. Higher poverty rates at Green Valley and Oak Grove align with lower rankings, but Penn Forest breaks that pattern with moderate poverty and top-tier results. Spending does not predict success—Oak Grove’s high spending hasn’t boosted scores, while Green Valley achieves more with less. Families in 24018 can find excellent options, with Back Creek and Penn Forest the academic leaders, Cave Spring a dependable choice, Green Valley on the rise, and Oak Grove a school worth watching closely.