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Pownal Elementary School

Q: Is Pownal Elementary School a good school?

Pownal Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.5% of Vermont elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Pownal Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 249 students attended Pownal Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Pownal Elementary School?

Students at Pownal Elementary School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

135^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 137 Vermont Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Vermont elementary schools

Summary

Pownal Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Pownal, Vermont, with 249 students. The school is part of the Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87, which is ranked 68 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pownal Elementary School has consistently underperformed the state average on standardized tests across all grade levels and subject areas. In 2024-2025, only 20.69% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 61% for 4th grade. In math, only 6.67% of 3rd graders were proficient, compared to the state average of 34.25% for 4th grade. The school also struggles to serve its student subgroups effectively, ranking 61st out of 61 Vermont elementary schools for male students and 138th out of 141 for white students in 2024-2025.

While Pownal Elementary School is part of the same district as several other nearby schools, such as Shaftsbury Elementary and Woodford Hollow, it consistently underperforms these schools on academic measures. This suggests that there may be opportunities to learn from the practices and strategies of the higher-performing schools in the district. Additionally, Pownal Elementary School has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.6 to 15.3 in recent years, compared to nearby schools like Shaftsbury Elementary (12.3) and Woodford Hollow (8.8).

249

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

82.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

94 School House Road
Pownal, VT 05261-9716

(802) 823-7333

District: Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.0%

Two or more races:

3.2%

Hispanic:

2.4%

See top rated Vermont elementary schools

Compare Pownal Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 10th percentile in 2021 → 1st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Vermont average (19% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2021

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

Vermont avg48%

135^th of 137

Vermont public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 9 pts since 2021

From bottom 10% (2021) to bottom 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Vermont Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

68^th of 75Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87 among Vermont districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2025	7.6	135 of 137	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.1	130 of 133	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	111 of 113	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.0	118 of 133	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	133 of 148	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2025	20.0	53 of 60	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	54 of 55	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	29.2	47 of 61	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2025	10.9	61 of 61	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.0	56 of 56	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.9	60 of 62	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.3	59 of 67	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Vermont percentile	Rating
2025	7.7	138 of 141	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.3	139 of 142	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	133 of 133	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.8	127 of 145	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.6	134 of 147	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2025)12th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Vermont (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts28%-30 vs state

Science17%-28 vs state

Mathematics11%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pownal Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				VTCAP English Language Arts (2025)				VTCAP Mathematics (2025)				VTCAP Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	VTCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	VTCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	VTCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	VTCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	VTCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	VTCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pownal Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	94 School House Road	Pownal	05261	Bennington County	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 823-7333	249	17	14.6	82.7%	234 (94.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)	7.6	135^th of 137 public elementary schools	1.5%		9.1	130^th of 133 public elementary schools	2.3%	5	20.7	50.0	16.7	22.9	6.7	12.5	6.9	17.1	16.7
Bennington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	128 Park Street	Bennington	05201	Bennington County	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 442-5256	278	17	16.3	82.4%	246 (88.5%)	4 (1.4%)	9 (3.2%)	10 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.2%)								(n/a)									15.4
Monument Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	66 Main Street	Bennington	05201	Bennington County	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 447-7979	147	9	17.2	76.9%	134 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.1%)								(n/a)
Molly Stark School	Public	PK, KG-5	181 Orchard Street	Bennington	05201	Bennington County	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 442-2692	402	22	18.6	84.3%	349 (86.8%)	8 (2.0%)	23 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.0%)	5.7	137^th of 137 public elementary schools	0.0%		11.1	125^th of 133 public elementary schools	6.0%	12	10.4	35.6	30.0		6.4	2.2	12.0		16.7
Woodford Hollow School	Public	PK, KG-6	995 VT Route 9	Bennington	05201	Bennington County	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 442-4071	30	3	8.8	73.3%	30 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Stamford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	986 Main Road	Stamford	05352	Bennington County	Stamford School District	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 694-1379	78	6	12.1	35.9%	72 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$9,728	$00	$9,728
Shaftsbury Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	150 Buck Hill Road	Shaftsbury	05262	Bennington County	Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 442-4373	245	20	12.3	76.3%	220 (89.8%)	3 (1.2%)	15 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	33.3	97^th of 137 public elementary schools	29.2%		36.4	87^th of 133 public elementary schools	34.6%	10	25.0			62.2	21.9			48.7	16.7
Readsboro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	301 Phelps Lane	Readsboro	05350	Bennington County	Readsboro School District	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 423-7786	38	7	5.8	36.8%	34 (89.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (7.9%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Fisher School	Public	PK, KG-5	504 East Arlington Road	Arlington	05250	Bennington County	Arlington School District	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 375-6409	205	16	12.8	79.0%	181 (88.3%)	4 (2.0%)	16 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	23	117^th of 137 public elementary schools	14.6%		40.3	80^th of 133 public elementary schools	39.8%	37	59.3	44.8	44.1		22.2	6.9	0.0		23.5	$16,226	$00	$16,226
Twin Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	360 Route 100 North	Wilmington	05363	Windham County	Twin Valley Unified School District #75	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(802) 464-5177	190	19	9.8	52.1%	180 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65.5	41^st of 137 public elementary schools	70.1%		50.3	63^rd of 133 public elementary schools	52.6%	22	40.0	73.1	60.7		25.0	73.1	42.9		55.6	$13,992	$02	$13,990

Frequently Asked Questions about Pownal Elementary School

Is Pownal Elementary School a good school?

Pownal Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.5% of Vermont elementary schools.

What district is Pownal Elementary School in?

Southwest Vermont Union Elementary School District #87

How many students attend Pownal Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 249 students attended Pownal Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Pownal Elementary School?

Students at Pownal Elementary School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Rate Pownal Elementary School!

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Schools in Pownal, VT

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Vermont Agency of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.