Keister Elementary

Summary:

Keister Elementary is a public elementary school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, serving 526 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Harrisonburg City Public Schools district, which is ranked 126 out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Keister Elementary has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic students (47.15%) compared to the state average. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by SOL (Standards of Learning) test scores, is generally below the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's 3rd grade math proficiency rate was 75%, compared to the state average of 70.11% and the district average of 46.44%. Keister Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Virginia elementary schools, with a ranking of 814 out of 1,114 schools in the 2023-2024 school year. The school has been rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger for the past several years.

Keister Elementary's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with its Hispanic students ranking 480 out of 580 Virginia elementary schools, while its White students ranked 579 out of 979 schools. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with 80.23% of students qualifying in the 2022-2023 school year. This is significantly higher than the state average and indicates a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Nearby schools, such as Smithland Elementary and Stone Spring Elementary, have higher academic achievement levels despite serving diverse student populations.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 100 Maryland Avenue
       Harrisonburg, VA  22801


(540) 434-6585

District: Harrisonburg City Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
814th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,193 Help


Students who attend Keister Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Thomas Harrison Middle
High:    Harrisonburg High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.8 Help
Number of students:  526

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
47.1%
White:
37.8%
African American:
9.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  80.2% Help


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 Compare Keister Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Keister Elementary ranks worse than 73.1% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks first among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.59. (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 Keister Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Keister Elementary is $8,193. 4 elementary schools in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Keister Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Keister Elementary 814th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Keister Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Harrisonburg City Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Harrisonburg City Public Schools 126th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Keister Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Keister Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 44.77 660th 1062 37.9%
2006 42.15 737th 1071 31.2%
2007 26.16 944th 1083 12.8%
2008 56.21 506th 1081 53.2%
2009 34.46 867th 1082 19.9%
2010 65.55 358th 1113 67.8%
2011 37.88 836th 1117 25.2%
2012 59.91 447th 1117 60.0%
2013 59.53 454th 1120 59.5%
2014 56.10 507th 1110 54.3%
2015 55.02 561st 1100 49.0%
2016 46.48 681st 1096 37.9%
2017 33.69 844th 1099 23.2%
2018 23.70 940th 1097 14.3%
2019 3.58 1083rd 1105 2.0%
2021 14.34 973rd 1103 11.8%
2022 20.13 929th 1109 16.2%
2023 24.27 894th 1114 19.7%
2024 31.59 814th 1114 26.9%
See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Keister Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 15.95 283rd 300 5.7%
2024 24.49 251st 306 18.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Keister Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 17.95 921st 1036 11.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Keister Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 32.48 822nd 1100 25.3%
2024 34.11 788th 1098 28.2%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Keister Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 17.55 954th 1093 12.7%
2024 29.41 843rd 1101 23.4%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Keister Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 12.08 529th 564 6.2%
2024 22.67 480th 580 17.2%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Keister Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 51.88 519th 984 47.3%
2024 48.37 579th 979 40.9%
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.

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





Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
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100%

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by a parent
Saturday, October 19, 2019

Open Quote You will notice that there are roughly 40 percent Latino students and 40 percent white students at this school. Even with such a high percentage of Latino students, this school has not and currently does not, offer Spanish as a "special"/elective that students can take. To me Spanish, because of the changing ethnicity of Harrisonburg should be offered to students who do not speak Spanish. Also while most teachers and staff are kind, expectations for students are average at best. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Keister 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 599 599
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 545 545
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 539 539
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 552 552
1993 497 18 14 4 0 n/a n/a 0 533
1994 423 25 11 12 0 n/a n/a 0 471
1995 401 24 22 20 0 n/a n/a 0 467
1996 401 24 22 20 0 n/a n/a 0 467
1997 388 24 24 20 0 n/a n/a 0 456
1998 353 27 25 19 0 n/a n/a 0 424
1999 356 24 16 23 0 n/a n/a 0 419
2000 314 31 32 41 0 n/a n/a -4 414
2001 332 32 29 47 0 n/a n/a 0 440
2002 291 43 34 86 0 n/a n/a 0 454
2003 291 43 34 86 0 n/a n/a 0 454
2004 314 44 20 81 2 n/a n/a 0 461
2005 317 39 22 93 0 n/a n/a 0 471
2006 337 41 20 112 0 n/a n/a 0 510
2007 333 38 17 138 0 n/a n/a 0 526
2008 312 32 16 167 0 n/a n/a 2 529
2009 214 36 13 167 0 n/a n/a 2 432
2010 228 39 15 188 0 n/a n/a 6 476
2011 218 33 14 177 0 0 12 0 454
2012 229 26 10 184 0 0 18 0 467
2013 239 25 12 202 0 0 11 0 489
2014 230 26 12 215 0 1 12 0 496
2015 232 37 11 212 1 1 16 0 510
2016 228 34 11 239 1 2 19 0 534
2017 239 27 9 265 3 0 17 0 560
2018 158 33 10 155 1 0 14 0 371
2019 175 40 8 163 0 0 10 0 396
2020 175 48 9 237 0 1 15 0 485
2021 164 36 10 244 0 1 17 0 472
2022 182 35 9 200 0 1 16 0 443
2023 199 48 8 248 2 0 21 0 526

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 Keister Elementary

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 599 38.6 15.5 n/a
1990 545 34.7 15.7 n/a
1991 539 36.5 14.7 n/a
1992 552 37.2 14.8 n/a
1993 533 36.2 14.7 n/a
1994 471 30.4 n/a 29.1
1995 467 n/a 0.0 32.1
1996 467 n/a 0.0 32.1
1997 456 n/a 0.0 30.5
1998 424 n/a 0.0 32.3
1999 419 35.0 12.0 42.2
2000 414 n/a 0.0 41.9
2001 440 35.0 12.6 38.4
2002 454 41.0 11.1 44.1
2003 454 41.0 11.1 44.1
2004 461 41.5 11.1 45.6
2005 471 40.5 11.6 48.8
2006 510 43.0 11.9 51.6
2007 526 50.0 10.5 51.3
2008 529 37.0 14.3 47.8
2009 432 31.0 13.9 55.6
2010 476 33.0 14.4 55.5
2011 454 34.0 13.3 61.5
2012 467 30.0 15.5 67.9
2013 489 40.1 12.1 60.3
2014 496 39.7 12.4 60.9
2015 510 37.0 13.7 58.8
2016 534 35.0 15.2 61.6
2017 560 38.7 14.4 64.6
2018 371 29.0 12.7 69.3
2019 396 28.6 13.8 70.5
2020 485 27.3 17.7 69.7
2021 472 27.5 17.1 n/a
2022 443 25.5 17.3 76.3
2023 526 38.0 13.8 80.2

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 Keister Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 599 38.6 15.5 n/a
1990 545 34.7 15.7 n/a
1991 539 36.5 14.7 n/a
1992 552 37.2 14.8 n/a
1993 533 36.2 14.7 n/a
1994 471 30.4 n/a 29.1
1995 467 n/a 0.0 32.1
1996 467 n/a 0.0 32.1
1997 456 n/a 0.0 30.5
1998 424 n/a 0.0 32.3
1999 419 35.0 12.0 42.2
2000 414 n/a 0.0 41.9
2001 440 35.0 12.6 38.4
2002 454 41.0 11.1 44.1
2003 454 41.0 11.1 44.1
2004 461 41.5 11.1 45.6
2005 471 40.5 11.6 48.8
2006 510 43.0 11.9 51.6
2007 526 50.0 10.5 51.3
2008 529 37.0 14.3 47.8
2009 432 31.0 13.9 55.6
2010 476 33.0 14.4 55.5
2011 454 34.0 13.3 61.5
2012 467 30.0 15.5 67.9
2013 489 40.1 12.1 60.3
2014 496 39.7 12.4 60.9
2015 510 37.0 13.7 58.8
2016 534 35.0 15.2 61.6
2017 560 38.7 14.4 64.6
2018 371 29.0 12.7 69.3
2019 396 28.6 13.8 70.5
2020 485 27.3 17.7 69.7
2021 472 27.5 17.1 n/a
2022 443 25.5 17.3 76.3
2023 526 38.0 13.8 80.2

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 Keister Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $397 (5.9%) $6,336 (94.1%) $6,733
2020 $597 (9.7%) $5,565 (90.3%) $6,162
2021 $697 (8.5%) $7,496 (91.5%) $8,193

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Keister 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 1083rd of 1105 Elementary schoolsRanks 894th of 1114 Elementary schools
 17.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Keister Elementary)4660.6
 14.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)7040
 30%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8269.1
 12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Keister Elementary)4249.3
 7.3%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)5335.7
 17.3%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)7166.1
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Keister Elementary)6363.9
 0.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)7547.9
 27.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8369.7
 13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Keister Elementary)6361.1
 1.9%
   4th Grade English Reading (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)5748
 9%
   4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7572.7
 2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Keister Elementary)4736.6
 10.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)6346.6
 16.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Keister Elementary)4956.1
 7.1%
   5th Grade Science (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)7058.8
 11.2%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Keister Elementary)3951.9
 12.9%
   5th Grade English Reading (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)6150.2
 10.8%
   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 Students396526
 32.8%
African American4048
 20%
American Indian02
Asian88
Hispanic163248
 52.1%
Pacific Islander00
White175199
 13.7%
Two or More Races1021
 110%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients70.5%80.2%
 9.8%


Schools Near Keister Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Keister Elementary

Students at Keister Elementary are 47% Hispanic, 38% White, 9% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Keister Elementary ranks 814th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 526 students attended Keister Elementary.

Students who attend Keister Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thomas Harrison Middle
High : Harrisonburg 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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