Is Riverside Elementary a good school?

Riverside Elementary ranks 635 th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Riverside Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 108 students attended Riverside Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Riverside Elementary?

Students at Riverside Elementary are 94% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Riverside Elementary attend?

Students who attend Riverside Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Cranberry Middle High : Avery County High

Riverside Elementary

Summary:

Riverside Elementary is a public elementary school located in Newland, North Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 100 students. While the school is part of the Avery County Schools district, which is ranked 69 out of 242 districts in the state, Riverside Elementary faces several challenges compared to its neighboring schools.

Riverside Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students at 99%, which is much higher than the more diverse student populations at nearby schools like Banner Elk Elementary. Academically, Riverside Elementary's performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better on EOG (End-of-Grade) tests, is generally lower than the Avery County Schools district and the state of North Carolina averages. For example, in 2023-2024, Riverside Elementary's 3rd-grade math proficiency was 45.5%, compared to 63.8% for the Avery County Schools district and 62.7% for the state. The school's statewide ranking has also fluctuated, ranging from the top half to the bottom half of North Carolina elementary schools.

Riverside Elementary's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 54.17% to 69% over the past few years, suggests that the school serves a lower-income population compared to the surrounding schools. This may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance. Additionally, the significant differences in performance between male and female students at Riverside Elementary indicate that the school may need to address equity and access issues for certain student subgroups.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

8020 US 19E Hwy South
Newland, NC 28657-9452

(828) 737-5600

District: Avery County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
635^th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,645

Students who attend Riverside Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cranberry Middle
High:	Avery County High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.6

Number of students: 108

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.4%

Hispanic:

3.7%

Two or more races:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 97.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Riverside Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Riverside Elementary ranks better than 57.8% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Avery County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.93. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Riverside Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Avery County Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (94.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), two or more races (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 97.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Avery County Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary is 12.6, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Avery County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Riverside Elementary employs 8.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Riverside Elementary is $12,645. 2 elementary schools in the Avery County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Riverside Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Riverside Elementary 635^th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Riverside Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

White students:

Avery County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Avery County Schools 69^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Riverside Elementary?

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Rank History for Riverside Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Riverside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2006	85.15	105^th	1276	91.8%
2007	76.79	224^th	1293	82.7%
2008	56.02	620^th	1324	53.2%
2009	57.02	665^th	1354	50.9%
2010	74.21	308^th	1363	77.4%
2011	77.22	245^th	1381	82.3%
2012	60.93	582^nd	1388	58.1%
2013	53.75	603^rd	1403	57.0%
2014	36.10	913^th	1390	34.3%
2015	50.50	745^th	1440	48.3%
2016	59.60	566^th	1425	60.3%
2017	45.96	819^th	1429	42.7%
2018	57.84	612^th	1434	57.3%
2019	38.76	947^th	1473	35.7%
2021	44.11	800^th	1489	46.3%
2022	21.18	1242^nd	1514	18.0%
2023	53.42	708^th	1502	52.9%
2024	56.93	635^th	1505	57.8%

See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Riverside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	69.62	317^th	1332	76.2%
2023	71.64	294^th	1437	79.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Riverside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	74.21	323^rd	1405	77.0%
2024	59.41	552^nd	1455	62.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Riverside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	29.01	1094^th	1413	22.6%
2019	36.96	989^th	1430	30.8%
2023	71.90	341^st	1461	76.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Riverside Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	31.62	916^th	1178	22.2%
2019	14.50	1107^th	1183	6.4%
2021	23.36	976^th	1172	16.7%
2022	7.33	1170^th	1194	2.0%
2023	29.02	927^th	1183	21.6%
2024	31.75	863^rd	1166	26.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Riverside Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	220	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	-3	223
1989	218	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	225
1990	219	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	227
1991	219	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	228
1992	225	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	1	236
1993	224	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	233
1994	232	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	246
1995	247	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	260
1996	247	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	260
1997	166	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	173
1998	175	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	184
1999	195	8	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	207
2000	178	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	188
2001	172	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	177
2002	169	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	173
2003	169	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	173
2004	143	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	148
2005	138	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	144
2006	134	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	140
2007	146	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	2	155
2008	154	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	2	163
2009	109	4	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	120
2010	121	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	133
2011	128	0	6	0	0	2	0	136
2012	133	0	9	0	0	2	0	144
2013	130	0	9	1	0	1	0	141
2014	117	0	9	1	0	2	0	129
2015	138	0	6	2	0	1	0	147
2016	120	0	4	2	0	1	0	127
2017	115	0	2	2	0	0	0	119
2018	110	0	2	3	0	2	0	117
2019	118	0	2	3	0	1	0	124
2020	107	0	1	0	0	2	0	110
2021	93	0	1	0	0	2	0	96
2022	94	0	1	0	0	1	0	96
2023	99	0	0	0	0	1	0	100
2024	102	0	4	0	0	2	0	108

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Riverside Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	223	14.0	15.9	36.8
1989	225	11.0	20.4	48.9
1990	227	13.0	17.4	52.4
1991	228	13.0	17.5	52.2
1992	236	12.0	19.6	28.8
1993	233	12.0	19.4	35.2
1994	246	12.0	20.5	34.1
1995	260	14.0	18.6	46.9
1996	260	14.0	18.6	46.9
1997	173	13.0	13.3	62.4
1998	184	14.0	13.1	33.3
1999	207	14.0	14.8	50.2
2000	188	14.0	13.4	58
2001	177	14.0	12.6	n/a
2002	173	14.0	12.4	48
2003	173	14.0	12.4	48
2004	148	14.0	10.6	52
2005	144	14.0	10.3	47.2
2006	140	14.0	10.0	51.4
2007	155	n/a	n/a	50.3
2008	163	11.0	14.8	47.2
2009	120	9.2	13.0	60
2010	133	10.3	12.8	64.7
2011	136	8.5	16.0	61
2012	144	8.5	16.7	66.7
2013	141	10.2	13.8	60.3
2014	129	10.2	12.5	76
2015	147	12.0	12.2	61.9
2016	127	11.0	11.5	63.8
2017	119	8.7	13.6	65.5
2018	117	9.1	12.8	60.7
2019	124	9.7	12.7	51.6
2020	110	9.2	11.9	63.6
2021	96	9.3	10.3	61.5
2022	96	8.8	10.7	54.2
2023	100	9.8	10.1	69
2024	108	8.5	12.6	97.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Riverside Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	223	14.0	15.9	36.8
1989	225	11.0	20.4	48.9
1990	227	13.0	17.4	52.4
1991	228	13.0	17.5	52.2
1992	236	12.0	19.6	28.8
1993	233	12.0	19.4	35.2
1994	246	12.0	20.5	34.1
1995	260	14.0	18.6	46.9
1996	260	14.0	18.6	46.9
1997	173	13.0	13.3	62.4
1998	184	14.0	13.1	33.3
1999	207	14.0	14.8	50.2
2000	188	14.0	13.4	58
2001	177	14.0	12.6	n/a
2002	173	14.0	12.4	48
2003	173	14.0	12.4	48
2004	148	14.0	10.6	52
2005	144	14.0	10.3	47.2
2006	140	14.0	10.0	51.4
2007	155	n/a	n/a	50.3
2008	163	11.0	14.8	47.2
2009	120	9.2	13.0	60
2010	133	10.3	12.8	64.7
2011	136	8.5	16.0	61
2012	144	8.5	16.7	66.7
2013	141	10.2	13.8	60.3
2014	129	10.2	12.5	76
2015	147	12.0	12.2	61.9
2016	127	11.0	11.5	63.8
2017	119	8.7	13.6	65.5
2018	117	9.1	12.8	60.7
2019	124	9.7	12.7	51.6
2020	110	9.2	11.9	63.6
2021	96	9.3	10.3	61.5
2022	96	8.8	10.7	54.2
2023	100	9.8	10.1	69
2024	108	8.5	12.6	97.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Riverside Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,329 (10.5%)	$11,316 (89.5%)	$12,645

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Riverside Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 947^th of 1473 Elementary schools	Ranks 708^th of 1502 Elementary schools	17.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Riverside Elementary)	37.5	54.5	17%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Avery County Schools)	54.5	65.6	11.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	64.3	61.1	3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Riverside Elementary)	50	27.3	22.7%
3rd Grade Reading (Avery County Schools)	51	47.7	3.3%
3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)	56.8	48	8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Riverside Elementary)	52.2	57.9	5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Avery County Schools)	58.4	73.2	14.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%
4th Grade Reading (Riverside Elementary)	56.5	63.2	6.7%
4th Grade Reading (Avery County Schools)	59.1	66.9	7.8%
4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	57.3	55.3	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Riverside Elementary)	65	53.3	11.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Avery County Schools)	64.8	69.9	5.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	60.2	55.9	4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Riverside Elementary)	55	53.3	1.7%
5th Grade Reading (Avery County Schools)	64.2	62.2	2%
5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	54.6	48	6.6%
5th Grade Science (Riverside Elementary)	50	66.7	16.7%
5th Grade Science (Avery County Schools)	74.8	78.9	4.1%
5th Grade Science (North Carolina)	72.6	65.3	7.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	124	100	19.4%
African American	0	0
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	118	99	16.1%
Two or More Races	1	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.6%	69%	17.4%

Schools Near Riverside Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOG Mathematics (2024)			EOG Reading (2024)			EOG Science (2024)	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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Riverside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8020 US 19E Hwy South	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 737-5600	108	9	12.6	97.2%	102 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	56.9	635^th of 1505 public elementary schools	57.8%		53.4	708^th of 1502 public elementary schools	52.9%	73	45.5	91.7	63.2	36.4	50.0	63.2	63.2	$12,645	$1,329	$11,316
Crossnore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Walt Clark Road	Crossnore	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 737-7204	180	16	11.6	98.3%	157 (87.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	78.2	275^th of 1505 public elementary schools	81.7%		79.6	246^th of 1502 public elementary schools	83.6%	29	71.4	68.2	87.5	42.9	59.1	83.3	87.5	$12,666	$1,132	$11,534
Deyton Elementary	Public	3-5	308 Harris Street	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-2070	213	14	14.8	98.6%	172 (80.8%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	53.7	690^th of 1505 public elementary schools	54.2%		50.3	766^th of 1502 public elementary schools	49.0%	76	56.5	61.1	75.7	42.0	44.4	55.4	63.5	$9,932	$1,072	$8,859
Greenlee Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	2206 Carters Ridge Road	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-9562	237	22	10.7	98.7%	191 (80.6%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (16.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)								(n/a)								$12,363	$1,195	$11,168
Gouge Elementary	Public	K-4	134 Laurel Street	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 766-2260	221	19	11.9	98.6%	205 (92.8%)	3 (1.4%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)	37.9	971^st of 1505 public elementary schools	35.5%		55.4	663^rd of 1502 public elementary schools	55.9%	308	48.6	46.7		51.4	44.4			$11,440	$2,103	$9,338
Newland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	750 Linville Street	Newland	28657	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-4911	202	19	10.6	98.5%	121 (59.9%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (39.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	39.4	942^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	37.4%		31.1	1072^nd of 1502 public elementary schools	28.6%	130	40.0	57.9	62.1	50.0	34.2	37.9	62.1	$13,995	$1,835	$12,160
Freedom Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6110 North US Hwy 19E	Elk Park	28622	Avery County	Avery County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 733-2932	212	17	12.5	98.6%	196 (92.5%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	77.5	287^th of 1505 public elementary schools	80.9%		78.1	272^nd of 1502 public elementary schools	81.9%	15	64.0	69.0	66.7	52.0	75.9	72.7	81.8	$12,077	$1,306	$10,771
Micaville Elementary	Public	K-5	112 State Hwy 80 South	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 675-4161	198	13	15.0	65.2%	160 (80.8%)	2 (1.0%)	35 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	57.4	625^th of 1505 public elementary schools	58.5%		51.5	741^st of 1502 public elementary schools	50.7%	116	76.0	69.0	36.8	56.0	72.4	42.1	68.4	$10,477	$1,167	$9,310
North Cove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	401 American Thread Road	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 756-4342	221	16	13.5	98.6%	166 (75.1%)	4 (1.8%)	32 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.6%)	33.6	1036^th of 1505 public elementary schools	31.2%		54.2	689^th of 1502 public elementary schools	54.1%	347	46.4	28.9	57.1	39.3	42.1	46.4	67.9	$11,425	$1,369	$10,056
South Toe Elementary	Public	K-5	139 South Toe School Rd	Burnsville	28714	Yancey County	Yancey County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 675-4321	106	8	13.5	60.4%	91 (85.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	83.7	189^th of 1505 public elementary schools	87.4%		79.3	249^th of 1502 public elementary schools	83.4%	60	76.5	70.0	73.7	52.9	75.0	73.7	89.5	$12,329	$1,937	$10,392

Riverside Elementary

Riverside Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Avery County Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Riverside Elementary

Rank History for all students at Riverside Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Riverside Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Riverside Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Riverside Elementary

Rank History for White students at Riverside Elementary

Enrollment information for Riverside Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Riverside Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Riverside Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Riverside Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Riverside Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Riverside Elementary