Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 24273

Zip code 24273 in Norton, Virginia, is served by a single elementary school—Norton Elementary—which enrolls 527 students in grades PK–7 under Norton City Public Schools. Despite serving a student body where 99.81% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the school outperforms the Virginia state average in overall proficiency, posting a 76.5% average across SOL tests versus 69.5% statewide. Its strongest subject is mathematics, where proficiency exceeds the state at every grade level—most dramatically in 7th grade, where 79.49% of students pass compared to 51.11% statewide. The school also excels in 4th grade VA Studies (87.93% vs. 70.52% statewide) and 7th grade reading (83.05% vs. 73.01%). Chronic absenteeism is impressively low at 9.6%, well below the state’s 14.8%.

Norton Elementary’s main academic concerns are early reading and 5th grade science. In 2025–2026, 3rd grade reading proficiency was 60.71%, nearly 7 points below the state average, while 5th grade science dropped sharply to 66.0% from 75.41% the prior year, falling below the state average for the first time. Reading improves markedly by upper grades, and the school’s year-over-year gains are notable: math proficiency jumped 7.6 points, and VA Studies soared 27.9 points. Civics and science declined, and reading slipped slightly. The school has earned 3 stars from the state and ranks 478th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools, placing it in the 57th percentile. Its district, however, ranks 31st out of 131 districts (76th percentile) with 4 stars, indicating that the school sits within a strong local system.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Norton Elementary is a high-poverty school producing solid, above-average results, particularly in math and upper-grade reading. The PK–7 grade span is unusual for an elementary school and gives students stability through middle school years. With a student–teacher ratio of 13.6 and spending of $10,100 per student, the school has reasonable resources. The low chronic absenteeism rate is a strong positive sign, and the overall trajectory is upward—state percentile improved from 51st to 57th in one year. Watch early literacy and science, but overall this is a school that appears to be moving in the right direction.