Southwestern Elementary

Summary:

Southwestern Elementary is a public elementary school in Chesapeake, Virginia, serving 544 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Chesapeake City Public Schools district, which is ranked 29th out of 130 districts in the state.

Southwestern Elementary stands out for its high percentage of African American students (66.18%) and very high free/reduced lunch rates, exceeding 90% in recent years. While the school's math performance is close to district and state averages, its reading and science scores on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests are generally lower. Southwestern Elementary's statewide ranking has fluctuated but is consistently in the bottom half of Virginia elementary schools, placing it in the 2-star category on the SchoolDigger rating system. However, the school's African American and Hispanic students perform relatively well compared to their peers across the state, ranking in the top 30-40% of schools.

Nearby schools in the Chesapeake City Public Schools district, such as Western Branch Intermediate, Deep Creek Elementary, and Edwin W. Chittum Elementary, generally outperform Southwestern Elementary on academic measures and have higher statewide rankings. These schools serve more diverse student populations, with lower percentages of African American and low-income students compared to Southwestern Elementary.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4410 Airline Blvd
       Chesapeake, VA  23321


(757) 465-6310

District: Chesapeake City Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
515th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,901 Help


Students who attend Southwestern Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Jolliff Middle
High:    Western Branch High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.1 Help
Number of students:  544

Racial breakdown:

African American:
66.2%
White:
14.2%
Hispanic:
11.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  90.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Southwestern Elementary ranks better than 53.8% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 13th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Chesapeake City Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.65. (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 Southwestern Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Chesapeake City Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwestern Elementary is $11,901, which is the 9th highest among 19 elementary schools in the Chesapeake City Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southwestern Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwestern Elementary 515th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Southwestern Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Chesapeake City Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Chesapeake City Public Schools 29th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Southwestern Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 28.73 883rd 1062 16.9%
2006 22.76 965th 1071 9.9%
2007 36.86 805th 1083 25.7%
2008 41.11 753rd 1081 30.3%
2009 36.02 847th 1082 21.7%
2010 49.22 662nd 1113 40.5%
2011 40.77 790th 1117 29.3%
2012 50.10 628th 1117 43.8%
2013 20.33 1001st 1120 10.6%
2014 20.87 999th 1110 10.0%
2015 34.83 827th 1100 24.8%
2016 45.00 704th 1096 35.8%
2017 16.61 1003rd 1099 8.7%
2018 24.80 929th 1097 15.3%
2019 30.83 867th 1105 21.5%
2021 33.60 777th 1103 29.6%
2022 40.82 715th 1109 35.5%
2023 51.36 598th 1114 46.3%
2024 57.65 515th 1114 53.8%
See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 68.35 285th 1036 72.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 51.53 584th 1100 46.9%
2024 50.87 603rd 1098 45.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.62 260th 324 19.8%
2024 54.62 193rd 355 45.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 38.57 132nd 182 27.5%
2024 28.84 155th 195 20.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 49.17 608th 1093 44.4%
2024 62.32 439th 1101 60.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 61.93 217th 579 62.5%
2024 69.95 156th 588 73.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 70.03 156th 564 72.3%
2024 56.92 252nd 580 56.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Southwestern Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 69.53 267th 984 72.9%
2024 66.75 316th 979 67.7%
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.

Southwestern Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Southwestern 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 398 398
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 425 425
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 476 476
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 489 489
1993 85 328 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 416
1994 89 317 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 409
1995 84 425 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 512
1996 84 425 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 512
1997 78 416 3 2 0 n/a n/a 0 499
1998 74 464 6 0 0 n/a n/a 0 544
1999 62 473 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 541
2000 62 438 2 2 0 n/a n/a -4 500
2001 55 416 2 3 4 n/a n/a 0 480
2002 51 410 2 1 2 n/a n/a 32 498
2003 51 410 2 1 2 n/a n/a 32 498
2004 40 378 0 3 1 n/a n/a 2 424
2005 41 414 2 4 1 n/a n/a 3 465
2006 46 444 7 8 2 n/a n/a 6 513
2007 47 443 13 14 0 n/a n/a 9 526
2008 56 502 15 15 0 n/a n/a 10 598
2009 45 495 11 21 0 n/a n/a 12 584
2010 66 491 15 18 3 n/a n/a 13 606
2011 66 473 10 22 2 0 33 0 606
2012 60 405 9 28 3 1 28 0 534
2013 72 402 5 39 1 0 33 0 552
2014 67 410 6 42 0 2 28 0 555
2015 62 394 4 45 1 2 27 0 535
2016 59 407 4 54 1 2 34 0 561
2017 45 441 1 38 1 0 33 0 559
2018 46 405 1 41 2 0 36 0 531
2019 69 400 3 61 0 0 49 0 582
2020 86 372 1 62 0 0 48 0 569
2021 74 344 7 67 0 0 41 0 533
2022 74 348 7 76 0 0 43 0 548
2023 77 360 4 63 1 1 38 0 544

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 Southwestern Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 398 21.6 18.4 n/a
1990 425 24.6 17.2 n/a
1991 476 27.4 17.3 n/a
1992 489 27.9 17.5 n/a
1993 416 26.5 15.7 n/a
1994 409 20.5 n/a 53.3
1995 512 n/a 0.0 55.1
1996 512 n/a 0.0 55.1
1997 499 n/a 0.0 58.3
1998 544 n/a 0.0 61.2
1999 541 40.0 13.5 68.4
2000 500 n/a 0.0 67.7
2001 480 37.8 12.7 72.3
2002 498 41.0 12.1 70.4
2003 498 41.0 12.1 70.4
2004 424 40.0 10.6 76.1
2005 465 38.0 12.2 72.1
2006 513 45.0 11.4 74.6
2007 526 48.8 10.8 70.2
2008 598 33.3 18.0 101.2
2009 584 35.0 16.7 67
2010 606 33.0 18.3 64.1
2011 606 30.0 20.2 66.3
2012 534 34.3 15.5 58.6
2013 552 33.0 16.7 64.1
2014 555 33.0 16.8 64.5
2015 535 33.0 16.2 60.7
2016 561 35.0 16.0 57.8
2017 559 37.7 14.8 66.9
2018 531 38.0 13.9 67
2019 582 40.0 14.5 64.9
2020 569 38.5 14.7 57.3
2021 533 42.5 12.5 n/a
2022 548 42.3 12.9 59.5
2023 544 41.5 13.1 90.8

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 Southwestern Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 398 21.6 18.4 n/a
1990 425 24.6 17.2 n/a
1991 476 27.4 17.3 n/a
1992 489 27.9 17.5 n/a
1993 416 26.5 15.7 n/a
1994 409 20.5 n/a 53.3
1995 512 n/a 0.0 55.1
1996 512 n/a 0.0 55.1
1997 499 n/a 0.0 58.3
1998 544 n/a 0.0 61.2
1999 541 40.0 13.5 68.4
2000 500 n/a 0.0 67.7
2001 480 37.8 12.7 72.3
2002 498 41.0 12.1 70.4
2003 498 41.0 12.1 70.4
2004 424 40.0 10.6 76.1
2005 465 38.0 12.2 72.1
2006 513 45.0 11.4 74.6
2007 526 48.8 10.8 70.2
2008 598 33.3 18.0 101.2
2009 584 35.0 16.7 67
2010 606 33.0 18.3 64.1
2011 606 30.0 20.2 66.3
2012 534 34.3 15.5 58.6
2013 552 33.0 16.7 64.1
2014 555 33.0 16.8 64.5
2015 535 33.0 16.2 60.7
2016 561 35.0 16.0 57.8
2017 559 37.7 14.8 66.9
2018 531 38.0 13.9 67
2019 582 40.0 14.5 64.9
2020 569 38.5 14.7 57.3
2021 533 42.5 12.5 n/a
2022 548 42.3 12.9 59.5
2023 544 41.5 13.1 90.8

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 Southwestern Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,258 (13.2%) $8,279 (86.8%) $9,538
2020 $1,308 (14.6%) $7,673 (85.4%) $8,981
2021 $1,306 (11.0%) $10,595 (89.0%) $11,901

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwestern 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 867th of 1105 Elementary schoolsRanks 598th of 1114 Elementary schools
 24.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southwestern Elementary)8368
 15.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Chesapeake City Public Schools)8778.4
 8.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8269.1
 12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Southwestern Elementary)6460.3
 3.7%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Chesapeake City Public Schools)7473.7
 0.3%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)7166.1
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southwestern Elementary)8171.6
 9.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Chesapeake City Public Schools)8879.1
 8.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8369.7
 13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Southwestern Elementary)7172.3
 1.3%
   4th Grade English Reading (Chesapeake City Public Schools)7979.8
 0.8%
   4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7572.7
 2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southwestern Elementary)7272.7
 0.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Chesapeake City Public Schools)8575.1
 9.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Southwestern Elementary)6762.8
 4.2%
   5th Grade Science (Chesapeake City Public Schools)8068.8
 11.2%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Southwestern Elementary)6365.4
 2.4%
   5th Grade English Reading (Chesapeake City Public Schools)7876.1
 1.9%
   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 Students582544
 6.5%
African American400360
 10%
American Indian01
Asian34
 33.3%
Hispanic6163
 3.3%
Pacific Islander01
White6977
 11.6%
Two or More Races4938
 22.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients64.9%90.8%
 25.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Southwestern Elementary

Southwestern Elementary ranks 515th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Southwestern Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jolliff Middle
High : Western Branch High

In the 2022-23 school year, 544 students attended Southwestern Elementary.

Students at Southwestern Elementary are 66% African American, 14% White, 12% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.


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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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