Is Amherst Elementary a good school?

Amherst Elementary ranks 540 th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Amherst Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 260 students attended Amherst Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Amherst Elementary?

Students at Amherst Elementary are 62% White, 18% African American, 9% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Amherst Elementary attend?

Students who attend Amherst Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Amherst Middle High : Amherst County High

Amherst Elementary

Summary:

Amherst Elementary is a public elementary school in Amherst, Virginia, serving 260 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Amherst County Public Schools district, which is ranked 95 out of 130 districts in the state.

Amherst Elementary stands out for its consistent academic performance, consistently outperforming the district and state averages on SOL (Standards of Learning) assessments, particularly in Mathematics and English Reading. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Amherst Elementary's 3rd grade Mathematics proficiency rate was 77.78%, compared to 62.72% for the district and 70.11% for the state. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11:1 to 18.6:1 over the past three years. However, Amherst Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 53.65% to 78.08% in recent years, which is higher than the surrounding schools like Temperance Elementary.

Amherst Elementary's student population is more diverse than some of the nearby schools, with a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students. This diversity could be an asset, providing opportunities for cross-cultural learning and understanding. While Amherst Elementary generally outperforms other schools in the Amherst County Public Schools district, the nearby Temperance Elementary school also stands out with strong academic performance and a higher statewide ranking in recent years.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

156 Davis St
Amherst, VA 24521

(434) 946-9704

District: Amherst County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
540^th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,385

Students who attend Amherst Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Amherst Middle
High:	Amherst County High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.0

Number of students: 260

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.3%

African American:

18.5%

Hispanic:

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.1%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Amherst Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Amherst Elementary ranks better than 51.5% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 2^nd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Amherst County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.76. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Amherst Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Amherst County Public Schools District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Amherst Elementary is $9,385, which is the 2^nd highest among 6 elementary schools in the Amherst County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Amherst Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Amherst Elementary 540^th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Amherst Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Amherst County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Amherst County Public Schools 95^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Amherst Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Amherst Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	35.27	805^th	1062	24.2%
2006	44.55	701^st	1071	34.5%
2007	35.42	829^th	1083	23.5%
2008	56.87	494^th	1081	54.3%
2009	57.56	470^th	1082	56.6%
2010	56.18	528^th	1113	52.6%
2011	38.87	817^th	1117	26.9%
2012	44.84	705^th	1117	36.9%
2013	54.57	533^rd	1120	52.4%
2014	66.04	348^th	1110	68.6%
2015	70.75	289^th	1100	73.7%
2016	64.00	400^th	1096	63.5%
2017	55.72	537^th	1099	51.1%
2018	34.26	833^rd	1097	24.1%
2019	67.10	379^th	1105	65.7%
2021	63.30	420^th	1103	61.9%
2022	71.69	322^nd	1109	71.0%
2023	56.78	523^rd	1114	53.1%
2024	55.76	540^th	1114	51.5%

See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Amherst Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	66.20	321^st	1036	69.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Amherst Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	55.31	528^th	1100	52.0%
2024	53.93	555^th	1098	49.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Amherst Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	54.45	523^rd	1093	52.2%
2024	53.09	551^st	1101	50.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Amherst Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.53	656^th	984	33.3%
2024	41.48	649^th	979	33.7%

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

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, 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: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Amherst Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	438	438
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	355	355
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	368	368
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	378	378
1993	281	100	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	384
1994	289	99	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	391
1995	261	96	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	361
1996	261	96	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	361
1997	274	90	3	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	369
1998	266	94	4	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	366
1999	248	94	4	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	349
2000	239	93	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	-4	335
2001	233	96	2	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	339
2002	252	92	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	350
2003	252	92	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	350
2004	259	77	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	344
2005	278	80	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	374
2006	269	76	3	12	1	n/a	n/a	2	363
2007	262	73	3	13	1	n/a	n/a	1	353
2008	236	76	5	14	1	n/a	n/a	6	338
2009	228	70	3	10	1	n/a	n/a	9	321
2010	243	73	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	7	333
2011	236	59	2	11	0	0	19	0	327
2012	225	52	2	9	1	0	22	0	311
2013	238	45	2	12	1	0	21	0	319
2014	228	51	2	10	1	0	21	0	313
2015	233	52	1	9	2	0	22	0	319
2016	220	43	1	14	2	0	23	0	303
2017	206	44	0	15	5	0	31	0	301
2018	201	47	0	13	5	0	25	0	291
2019	191	47	0	16	3	0	26	0	283
2020	179	42	1	16	4	1	29	0	272
2021	181	38	1	18	3	0	20	0	261
2022	152	38	2	18	3	1	19	0	233
2023	162	48	2	24	0	0	24	0	260

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 Amherst Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	438	25.3	17.3	n/a
1990	355	22.4	15.8	n/a
1991	368	23.1	15.9	n/a
1992	378	23.5	16.0	n/a
1993	384	27.3	14.1	n/a
1994	391	19.5	n/a	28.1
1995	361	n/a	0.0	28.3
1996	361	n/a	0.0	28.3
1997	369	n/a	0.0	24.9
1998	366	n/a	0.0	26.5
1999	349	26.0	13.4	30.1
2000	335	n/a	0.0	31
2001	339	25.3	13.4	30.4
2002	350	30.0	11.7	33.1
2003	350	30.0	11.7	33.1
2004	344	28.0	12.3	34
2005	374	28.0	13.4	34
2006	363	30.0	12.1	34.3
2007	353	34.0	10.4	33.2
2008	338	23.0	14.7	36.4
2009	321	23.0	14.0	37.5
2010	333	23.0	14.4	43.6
2011	327	21.0	15.5	40.4
2012	311	24.0	12.9	43.1
2013	319	22.7	14.0	41.4
2014	313	21.7	14.3	40.6
2015	319	21.0	15.1	37.6
2016	303	21.0	14.4	36
2017	301	21.0	14.3	41.2
2018	291	21.0	13.8	43
2019	283	21.0	13.4	45.9
2020	272	20.5	13.2	46
2021	261	14.0	18.6	n/a
2022	233	17.6	13.2	53.6
2023	260	23.5	11.0	78.1

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 Amherst Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	438	25.3	17.3	n/a
1990	355	22.4	15.8	n/a
1991	368	23.1	15.9	n/a
1992	378	23.5	16.0	n/a
1993	384	27.3	14.1	n/a
1994	391	19.5	n/a	28.1
1995	361	n/a	0.0	28.3
1996	361	n/a	0.0	28.3
1997	369	n/a	0.0	24.9
1998	366	n/a	0.0	26.5
1999	349	26.0	13.4	30.1
2000	335	n/a	0.0	31
2001	339	25.3	13.4	30.4
2002	350	30.0	11.7	33.1
2003	350	30.0	11.7	33.1
2004	344	28.0	12.3	34
2005	374	28.0	13.4	34
2006	363	30.0	12.1	34.3
2007	353	34.0	10.4	33.2
2008	338	23.0	14.7	36.4
2009	321	23.0	14.0	37.5
2010	333	23.0	14.4	43.6
2011	327	21.0	15.5	40.4
2012	311	24.0	12.9	43.1
2013	319	22.7	14.0	41.4
2014	313	21.7	14.3	40.6
2015	319	21.0	15.1	37.6
2016	303	21.0	14.4	36
2017	301	21.0	14.3	41.2
2018	291	21.0	13.8	43
2019	283	21.0	13.4	45.9
2020	272	20.5	13.2	46
2021	261	14.0	18.6	n/a
2022	233	17.6	13.2	53.6
2023	260	23.5	11.0	78.1

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 Amherst Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$762 (9.2%)	$7,516 (90.8%)	$8,279
2020	$789 (8.7%)	$8,257 (91.3%)	$9,046
2021	$735 (7.8%)	$8,650 (92.2%)	$9,385

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Amherst 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 379^th of 1105 Elementary schools	Ranks 523^rd of 1114 Elementary schools	12.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Amherst Elementary)	91	65.3	25.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Amherst County Public Schools)	81	61.7	19.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	82	69.1	12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Amherst Elementary)	87	75.5	11.5%
3rd Grade English Reading (Amherst County Public Schools)	74	62	12%
3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)	71	66.1	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Amherst Elementary)	88	51.4	36.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Amherst County Public Schools)	82	61.2	20.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	83	69.7	13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Amherst Elementary)	83	75.7	7.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Amherst County Public Schools)	76	69.2	6.8%
4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	75	72.7	2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Amherst Elementary)	89	80	9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Amherst County Public Schools)	83	61.1	21.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	81	67	14%
5th Grade Science (Amherst Elementary)	73	68.6	4.4%
5th Grade Science (Amherst County Public Schools)	76	53.8	22.2%
5th Grade Science (Virginia)	79	66	13%
5th Grade English Reading (Amherst Elementary)	82	74.3	7.7%
5th Grade English Reading (Amherst County Public Schools)	78	66.3	11.7%
5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	78	71.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	283	260	8.1%
African American	47	48	2.1%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	16	24	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	191	162	15.2%
Two or More Races	26	24	7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.9%	78.1%	32.1%

Schools Near Amherst Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Mathematics (2024)			SOL Science (2024)	SOL English Reading (2024)			SOL VA Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Amherst Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	156 Davis St	Amherst	24521	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 946-9704	260	24	11.0	78.1%	162 (62.3%)	48 (18.5%)	24 (9.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.2%)	55.8	540^th of 1114 public elementary schools	51.5%		56.8	523^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	53.1%	17	77.8	63.8	64.3	69.1	80.0	80.9	73.8	66.0		$9,385	$735	$8,650
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	575 Union Hill Rd	Amherst	24521	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 946-9700	318	31	10.2	78.3%	190 (59.7%)	54 (17.0%)	21 (6.6%)	2 (0.6%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (14.2%)	26.7	880^th of 1114 public elementary schools	21.0%		34.2	798^th of 1114 public elementary schools	28.4%	82	78.4	48.6	35.7	54.8	70.3	71.4	42.9	34.3		$8,399	$1,107	$7,293
Temperance Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1981 Lowesville Rd	Amherst	24521	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 946-2811	92	10	9.6	78.3%	73 (79.3%)	11 (12.0%)	4 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.3%)	72.5	318^th of 1114 public elementary schools	71.5%		65.8	403^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	63.8%	85	87.5	76.9	79.0	79.0	81.3	69.2	79.0	84.6		$9,648	$353	$9,295
Amelon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	132 Amer Court	Madison Heights	24572	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 528-6498	438	35	12.6	78.1%	254 (58.0%)	118 (26.9%)	14 (3.2%)	7 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	41 (9.4%)	14.8	983^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	11.8%		20.3	936^th of 1114 public elementary schools	16.0%	47	44.1	59.0	52.7	45.5	53.7	55.7	53.7	44.3		$8,071	$712	$7,359
Elon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	147 Younger Dr	Madison Heights	24572	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 528-6496	341	27	12.5	77.1%	269 (78.9%)	34 (10.0%)	8 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.0%)	51.9	587^th of 1114 public elementary schools	47.3%		37.3	752^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	32.5%	165	73.4	69.6	66.1	71.2	73.0	80.4	67.8	52.2		$7,487	$446	$7,041
Tye River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5198 Thomas Nelson Hwy	Arrington	22922	Nelson County	Nelson County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 263-8960	355	27	13.1	78.9%	248 (69.9%)	57 (16.1%)	36 (10.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.4%)	48.3	638^th of 1114 public elementary schools	42.7%		57.7	513^th of 1114 public elementary schools	53.9%	125	84.4	65.6	74.1	65.5	71.1	60.0	64.9	70.0		$12,449	$1,132	$11,317
Madison Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	287 Learning Lane	Madison Heights	24572	Amherst County	Amherst County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 846-2151	418	35	12.1	77.3%	203 (48.6%)	109 (26.1%)	47 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (12.7%)	27.7	868^th of 1114 public elementary schools	22.1%		39.5	730^th of 1114 public elementary schools	34.5%	138	47.4	57.4	64.2	60.4	51.8	61.1	75.9	46.3		$8,257	$1,336	$6,922
Paul Munro Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4641 Locksview Rd	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5260	369	25	14.9	98.1%	197 (53.4%)	104 (28.2%)	19 (5.1%)	7 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (11.1%)	81.8	175^th of 1114 public elementary schools	84.3%		81.8	179^th of 1114 public elementary schools	83.9%	4	83.3	90.5	78.6	81.0	76.2	90.5	88.1	88.1	85.0	$7,505	$603	$6,902
Dearington Elementary/Innovation	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	210 Smyth St	Lynchburg	24501	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(434) 515-5220	160	37	4.3	96.3%	18 (11.3%)	125 (78.1%)	5 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.5%)	42.1	703^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	36.9%		58.6	498^th of 1114 public elementary schools	55.3%	205	46.7	73.9	65.4	61.5	53.3	82.6	61.5	69.6	76.9	$13,074	$1,944	$11,131
Bedford Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4330 Morningside Dr	Lynchburg	24503	Lynchburg city	Lynchburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(434) 515-5210	383	34	11.4	97.7%	189 (49.3%)	127 (33.2%)	36 (9.4%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.0%)	22.9	921^st of 1114 public elementary schools	17.3%		23.1	906^th of 1114 public elementary schools	18.7%	15	56.7	46.4	48.2	62.3	46.3	58.9	66.7	35.7	69.8	$10,243	$1,040	$9,202

Amherst Elementary

Amherst Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Amherst County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Amherst Elementary

Rank History for all students at Amherst Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Amherst Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Amherst Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Amherst Elementary

Rank History for White students at Amherst Elementary

Enrollment information for Amherst Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Amherst Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Amherst Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Amherst Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Amherst Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Amherst Elementary