Buchanan Elementary

Summary:

Buchanan Elementary is a public elementary school in Buchanan, Virginia, serving 311 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Botetourt County Public Schools district, which is ranked 6th out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Buchanan Elementary consistently outperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Reading were significantly higher than the state and district averages, with 5th-grade students achieving 90.24% and 90.24% proficiency, respectively. The school's performance in Science for 5th-grade students is also noteworthy, with a 92.68% proficiency rate, compared to the state average of 67.26%. Buchanan Elementary's female, male, and low socioeconomic status (SES) students all perform exceptionally well, ranking in the top 25% and top 11% of Virginia elementary schools in their respective subgroups.

While Buchanan Elementary has a predominantly white student population, with a significantly lower percentage of minority students compared to the state and nearby schools, the school's ability to support the academic success of diverse student populations is commendable. When compared to other elementary schools in the Botetourt County Public Schools district, Buchanan Elementary generally outperforms its peers, though some nearby schools, such as Colonial Elementary and Cloverdale Elementary, also demonstrate strong academic performance and are ranked highly within the state.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 255 Schoolhouse Rd
       Buchanan, VA  24066


(540) 254-2084

District: Botetourt County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
194th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,236 Help


Students who attend Buchanan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Central Academy Middle
High:    James River High

Student/teacher ratio:  12.8 Help
Number of students:  311

Racial breakdown:

White:
91.6%
Two or more races:
4.8%
Hispanic:
2.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  46.6% Help


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 Compare Buchanan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Buchanan Elementary ranks better than 82.6% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 3rd among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Botetourt County Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.21. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a 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
Help
Compare Details Buchanan Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Botetourt County Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Buchanan Elementary is $9,236. 5 elementary schools in the Botetourt County Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Buchanan Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Buchanan Elementary 194th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Buchanan Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Botetourt County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Botetourt County Public Schools 6th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Buchanan Elementary.

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Rank History for Buchanan Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Buchanan Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 63.07 386th 1062 63.7%
2006 83.35 65th 1071 93.9%
2007 76.50 165th 1083 84.8%
2008 69.44 282nd 1081 73.9%
2009 76.54 162nd 1082 85.0%
2010 77.88 129th 1113 88.4%
2011 72.44 234th 1117 79.1%
2012 72.53 242nd 1117 78.3%
2013 74.96 229th 1120 79.6%
2014 75.04 222nd 1110 80.0%
2015 77.97 173rd 1100 84.3%
2016 69.08 322nd 1096 70.6%
2017 55.96 532nd 1099 51.6%
2018 66.12 375th 1097 65.8%
2019 74.66 248th 1105 77.6%
2021 78.68 226th 1103 79.5%
2022 85.12 132nd 1109 88.1%
2023 75.37 262nd 1114 76.5%
2024 81.21 194th 1114 82.6%
See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Buchanan Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 80.91 113th 1036 89.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Buchanan Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 71.38 308th 1100 72.0%
2024 80.95 169th 1098 84.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Buchanan Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 76.02 234th 1093 78.6%
2024 77.44 232nd 1101 78.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Buchanan Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 54.46 484th 984 50.8%
2024 64.81 355th 979 63.7%
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.

Buchanan Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
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50%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, September 8, 2022

Open Quote Buchanan Elementary School is filled with supportive teachers who want nothing but the best for each child. They truly go "above and beyond" to meet the needs of every student. Everyone is always there to answer questions and address concerns. I can't say enough great things about this school! Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Open Quote Teachers yell at students, our son is in the 4Th grade and he has had 3 teachers that liked to yell at and try to humiliate the kids in front of the class. We have discussed this with the principle(along with other parents) to no avail.The principle denies that this is going on but one of the teachers admitted to me and my wife during a parent teacher meeting that she had a problem with yelling and is trying to work on it.We were told by a substitute teacher that she could hear one of the teachers all the way to her class.I have spoke with people at the school superintendents office for the second time just recently, waiting to see what will be done, nothing the first time.Hopefully this will get some serious attention. Who wants their child to dread going to school for fear of being humiliated.This school seems to thrive on this type of treatment.They give silent lunch for the smallest infraction, which is lunch taken separate from but where the other students can see the student that is having silent lunch.I Would not recommend sending your child here if at all possible.We were also called into a meeting and told that our sons size was intimidating to some of his classmates.If that is not discrimination then I don't know what is .What are you supposed to do about a child's structural size.Our daughter attended private school and we never experienced a teacher who exhibited these types of unacceptable behaviors, why should the taxpayers of Va.have to contend with this? Close Quote



Enrollment information for Buchanan 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 320 320
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 341 341
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 350 350
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 357 357
1993 331 13 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 344
1994 341 13 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 354
1995 385 18 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 403
1996 385 18 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 403
1997 324 17 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 341
1998 328 13 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 341
1999 345 11 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 356
2000 317 10 2 0 0 n/a n/a -4 325
2001 313 7 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 322
2002 310 5 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 316
2003 310 5 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 316
2004 313 5 0 0 0 n/a n/a 1 319
2005 292 5 0 1 0 n/a n/a 1 299
2006 302 7 0 6 0 n/a n/a 2 317
2007 293 9 1 9 0 n/a n/a 1 313
2008 302 10 1 13 1 n/a n/a 4 331
2009 310 12 1 4 0 n/a n/a 1 328
2010 319 8 2 2 0 n/a n/a 1 332
2011 306 3 2 3 3 0 3 0 320
2012 293 4 1 2 2 0 2 0 304
2013 274 2 1 4 2 0 4 0 287
2014 250 2 1 4 1 0 5 0 263
2015 269 4 1 6 1 0 7 0 288
2016 279 4 0 5 0 0 9 0 297
2017 260 6 0 10 0 0 15 0 291
2018 236 3 0 8 0 0 12 0 259
2019 243 3 0 10 1 0 14 0 271
2020 266 4 0 6 1 0 13 0 290
2021 263 7 0 6 0 0 16 0 292
2022 273 4 0 5 0 0 18 0 300
2023 285 2 1 8 0 0 15 0 311

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 Buchanan Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 320 20.2 15.8 n/a
1990 341 20.8 16.3 n/a
1991 350 20.1 17.4 n/a
1992 357 20.5 17.4 n/a
1993 344 21.2 16.2 n/a
1994 354 18.3 n/a 22.6
1995 403 n/a 0.0 17.4
1996 403 n/a 0.0 17.4
1997 341 n/a 0.0 19.6
1998 341 n/a 0.0 15.2
1999 356 24.0 14.8 23.9
2000 325 n/a 0.0 21.9
2001 322 25.0 12.9 19.6
2002 316 28.0 11.3 21.5
2003 316 28.0 11.3 21.5
2004 319 27.0 11.8 n/a
2005 299 24.0 12.5 21.8
2006 317 27.0 11.7 21.3
2007 313 24.7 12.7 26.6
2008 331 22.3 14.8 23.5
2009 328 21.0 15.6 26
2010 332 22.0 15.0 34.7
2011 320 20.0 16.0 35.6
2012 304 19.6 15.4 38.8
2013 287 17.9 16.0 38.3
2014 263 18.2 14.3 39.5
2015 288 20.0 14.4 42
2016 297 19.0 15.6 45.8
2017 291 19.5 14.8 44
2018 259 19.5 13.2 48.3
2019 271 19.5 13.8 50.2
2020 290 21.0 13.8 45.5
2021 292 20.0 14.6 n/a
2022 300 21.9 13.6 44
2023 311 24.2 12.8 46.6

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 Buchanan Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 320 20.2 15.8 n/a
1990 341 20.8 16.3 n/a
1991 350 20.1 17.4 n/a
1992 357 20.5 17.4 n/a
1993 344 21.2 16.2 n/a
1994 354 18.3 n/a 22.6
1995 403 n/a 0.0 17.4
1996 403 n/a 0.0 17.4
1997 341 n/a 0.0 19.6
1998 341 n/a 0.0 15.2
1999 356 24.0 14.8 23.9
2000 325 n/a 0.0 21.9
2001 322 25.0 12.9 19.6
2002 316 28.0 11.3 21.5
2003 316 28.0 11.3 21.5
2004 319 27.0 11.8 n/a
2005 299 24.0 12.5 21.8
2006 317 27.0 11.7 21.3
2007 313 24.7 12.7 26.6
2008 331 22.3 14.8 23.5
2009 328 21.0 15.6 26
2010 332 22.0 15.0 34.7
2011 320 20.0 16.0 35.6
2012 304 19.6 15.4 38.8
2013 287 17.9 16.0 38.3
2014 263 18.2 14.3 39.5
2015 288 20.0 14.4 42
2016 297 19.0 15.6 45.8
2017 291 19.5 14.8 44
2018 259 19.5 13.2 48.3
2019 271 19.5 13.8 50.2
2020 290 21.0 13.8 45.5
2021 292 20.0 14.6 n/a
2022 300 21.9 13.6 44
2023 311 24.2 12.8 46.6

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 Buchanan Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $857 (10.8%) $7,056 (89.2%) $7,913
2020 $782 (8.3%) $8,650 (91.7%) $9,433
2021 $719 (7.8%) $8,517 (92.2%) $9,236

Data source: Virginia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Buchanan 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 248th of 1105 Elementary schoolsRanks 262nd of 1114 Elementary schools
 1.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Buchanan Elementary)8290.5
 8.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Botetourt County Public Schools)9183.1
 7.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8269.1
 12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Buchanan Elementary)8083.3
 3.3%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Botetourt County Public Schools)8284.3
 2.3%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)7166.1
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Buchanan Elementary)9179.6
 11.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Botetourt County Public Schools)9086.1
 3.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8369.7
 13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Buchanan Elementary)8881.8
 6.2%
   4th Grade English Reading (Botetourt County Public Schools)8386.8
 3.8%
   4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7572.7
 2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Buchanan Elementary)9587.2
 7.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Botetourt County Public Schools)9181.7
 9.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Buchanan Elementary)8474.5
 9.5%
   5th Grade Science (Botetourt County Public Schools)8575.5
 9.5%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Buchanan Elementary)9280.9
 11.2%
   5th Grade English Reading (Botetourt County Public Schools)8581.7
 3.3%
   5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7871.4
 6.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students271311
 14.8%
African American32
 33.3%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian01
Hispanic108
 20%
Pacific Islander00
White243285
 17.3%
Two or More Races1415
 7.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients50.2%46.6%
 3.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Buchanan Elementary

Students at Buchanan Elementary are 92% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

Buchanan Elementary ranks 194th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 311 students attended Buchanan Elementary.

Students who attend Buchanan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Central Academy Middle
High : James River High


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





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