Gayton Elementary

Summary:

Gayton Elementary is a public elementary school in Richmond, Virginia, serving 544 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Henrico County Public Schools district, which is ranked 88 out of 130 districts in the state.

Gayton Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Virginia, with proficiency rates significantly higher than the Henrico County and Virginia state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Gayton Elementary's 3rd-grade students achieved 91% proficiency in English Reading, compared to 64.14% for Henrico County and 66.88% for Virginia. The school has a relatively diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 76.29% White, 4.78% African American, 5.15% Hispanic, and 8.46% Asian, which is higher than some nearby schools like Pemberton Elementary and Maybeury Elementary. Additionally, Gayton Elementary has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 18.93%, compared to over 50% at schools like Ruby F. Carver Elementary and Pinchbeck Elementary.

Gayton Elementary's consistent academic excellence, diverse student population, and efficient resource allocation make it a standout public elementary school. The school's 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and its rankings among the top elementary schools in Virginia demonstrate its commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students, regardless of their background. This model of success is worth emulating for other schools in the Henrico County Public Schools district and beyond.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 12481 Church Rd
       Richmond, VA  23233


(804) 360-0820

District: Henrico County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
76th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,356 Help


Students who attend Gayton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Pocahontas Middle
High:    Mills E. Godwin High

Student/teacher ratio:  16.0 Help
Number of students:  544

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.3%
Asian:
8.5%
Two or more races:
5.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  18.9% Help


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 Compare Gayton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Gayton Elementary ranks better than 93.2% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 6th among 45 ranked elementary schools in the Henrico County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.5. (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 Gayton Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Henrico County Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gayton Elementary is $8,356. 32 elementary schools in the Henrico County Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gayton Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Gayton Elementary 76th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Gayton Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Henrico County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Henrico County Public Schools 88th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Gayton Elementary.

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Rank History for Gayton Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Gayton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 89.87 13th 1062 98.8%
2006 88.59 15th 1071 98.6%
2007 87.38 29th 1083 97.3%
2008 84.01 47th 1081 95.7%
2009 87.09 17th 1082 98.4%
2010 77.97 125th 1113 88.8%
2011 81.72 94th 1117 91.6%
2012 87.80 22nd 1117 98.0%
2013 87.24 57th 1120 94.9%
2014 83.60 105th 1110 90.5%
2015 82.07 121st 1100 89.0%
2016 83.05 99th 1096 91.0%
2017 89.92 28th 1099 97.5%
2018 88.80 42nd 1097 96.2%
2019 87.79 42nd 1105 96.2%
2021 95.02 5th 1103 99.5%
2022 90.66 44th 1109 96.0%
2023 93.18 18th 1114 98.4%
2024 87.50 76th 1114 93.2%
See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gayton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 84.59 70th 1036 93.2%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Gayton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 90.76 31st 1100 97.2%
2024 85.27 99th 1098 91.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Gayton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 93.02 15th 1093 98.6%
2024 86.58 80th 1101 92.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Gayton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 68.25 78th 238 67.2%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at Gayton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 87.95 33rd 984 96.6%
2024 75.71 184th 979 81.2%
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.

Gayton 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: 3.3)
33%

33%

0%

0%

33%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Open Quote We have had 3 different children in Gayton. The teachers are fantastic! They recently got a new principal and overall she is making some good changes to the school. The PTA does a great job with supplying the school with technology and is now working on play ground updates. The gifted program has been excellent for 2 of my children. One negative is that they do not have teachers in place if you are special needs. There are other elementary schools close by that do. We have enjoyed Gayton and would recommend it. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, May 20, 2012

Open Quote Decent teachers, but a horrible principal and administration.

If you have a gifted child, look elsewhere. Heck, if you have a child that is anything other that absolutely average, this is not the place for you. The principal is unhelpful and unresponsive to the point that we had to bring in Henrico county officials to get our child the IEP he needed.

We were fought every step of the way, from the day we enrolled -- Principal Wingfield and her staff refused to provide the resources our son needed, and thus we essentially wasted a year while he complained about boredom and frustration... and, as we told Mrs. Wingfield, began to act out.

Gifted kids? Don't expect much in the way of decent education. Kids anywhere on the autism spectrum? Ditto. Kids with special needs? Forget it.

We've since moved to Pemberton, and it's night and day. Responsive staff, terrific principal who listens to us, great teachers. It's a shame we didn't know about it sooner. Until Peggy Wingfield and her administration is out of there, Gayton is a school to avoid. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Gayton Elementary

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Compare
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 570 570
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 690 690
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 847 847
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 870 870
1993 750 11 13 5 2 n/a n/a 0 781
1994 766 11 15 6 4 n/a n/a 0 802
1995 825 10 22 9 4 n/a n/a 0 870
1996 825 10 22 9 4 n/a n/a 0 870
1997 844 14 21 11 1 n/a n/a 0 891
1998 670 6 13 8 1 n/a n/a 0 698
1999 651 11 12 8 0 n/a n/a 0 682
2000 635 10 9 4 2 n/a n/a -4 656
2001 611 5 11 4 1 n/a n/a 0 632
2002 556 10 16 5 1 n/a n/a 0 588
2003 556 10 16 5 1 n/a n/a 0 588
2004 544 9 26 10 1 n/a n/a 2 592
2005 478 15 26 9 1 n/a n/a 31 560
2006 461 11 24 9 0 n/a n/a 46 551
2007 410 9 25 8 0 n/a n/a 46 498
2008 408 10 23 10 1 n/a n/a 78 530
2009 379 10 27 6 0 n/a n/a 96 518
2010 382 9 36 10 0 n/a n/a 86 523
2011 452 15 32 16 1 0 7 0 523
2012 402 13 32 19 0 0 11 0 477
2013 387 21 34 19 0 0 12 0 473
2014 445 21 51 19 2 0 15 0 553
2015 460 19 41 21 2 0 23 0 566
2016 460 24 40 20 0 0 19 0 563
2017 454 22 31 25 0 0 28 0 560
2018 439 20 42 18 0 0 25 0 544
2019 477 17 42 19 0 0 34 0 589
2020 475 20 48 20 1 0 34 0 598
2021 415 20 48 22 0 0 31 0 536
2022 423 15 53 25 0 0 30 0 546
2023 415 26 46 28 0 0 29 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 Gayton Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 570 26.4 21.5 n/a
1990 690 33.5 20.5 n/a
1991 847 39.7 21.3 n/a
1992 870 40.4 21.5 n/a
1993 781 38.8 20.1 n/a
1994 802 42.0 n/a 0.2
1995 870 n/a 0.0 0.6
1996 870 n/a 0.0 0.6
1997 891 n/a 0.0 0.6
1998 698 n/a 0.0 1
1999 682 36.0 18.9 1.3
2000 656 n/a 0.0 0.6
2001 632 35.4 17.9 1.4
2002 588 36.2 16.2 1.2
2003 588 36.2 16.2 1.2
2004 592 33.8 17.5 n/a
2005 560 31.8 17.6 3.4
2006 551 35.0 15.7 3.4
2007 498 37.0 13.5 3.8
2008 530 30.0 17.7 3.3
2009 518 28.0 18.5 5.7
2010 523 29.5 17.7 8.2
2011 523 29.5 17.7 6.3
2012 477 26.0 18.3 6.1
2013 473 19.0 24.8 7.2
2014 553 20.0 27.6 7.2
2015 566 28.0 20.2 7.6
2016 563 28.0 20.1 8.2
2017 560 28.5 19.6 7.7
2018 544 28.5 19.0 8.8
2019 589 29.5 19.9 10.5
2020 598 31.0 19.2 10.9
2021 536 30.4 17.5 n/a
2022 546 30.0 18.2 11.9
2023 544 34.0 16.0 18.9

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 Gayton Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 570 26.4 21.5 n/a
1990 690 33.5 20.5 n/a
1991 847 39.7 21.3 n/a
1992 870 40.4 21.5 n/a
1993 781 38.8 20.1 n/a
1994 802 42.0 n/a 0.2
1995 870 n/a 0.0 0.6
1996 870 n/a 0.0 0.6
1997 891 n/a 0.0 0.6
1998 698 n/a 0.0 1
1999 682 36.0 18.9 1.3
2000 656 n/a 0.0 0.6
2001 632 35.4 17.9 1.4
2002 588 36.2 16.2 1.2
2003 588 36.2 16.2 1.2
2004 592 33.8 17.5 n/a
2005 560 31.8 17.6 3.4
2006 551 35.0 15.7 3.4
2007 498 37.0 13.5 3.8
2008 530 30.0 17.7 3.3
2009 518 28.0 18.5 5.7
2010 523 29.5 17.7 8.2
2011 523 29.5 17.7 6.3
2012 477 26.0 18.3 6.1
2013 473 19.0 24.8 7.2
2014 553 20.0 27.6 7.2
2015 566 28.0 20.2 7.6
2016 563 28.0 20.1 8.2
2017 560 28.5 19.6 7.7
2018 544 28.5 19.0 8.8
2019 589 29.5 19.9 10.5
2020 598 31.0 19.2 10.9
2021 536 30.4 17.5 n/a
2022 546 30.0 18.2 11.9
2023 544 34.0 16.0 18.9

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 Gayton Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $318 (5.2%) $5,797 (94.8%) $6,115
2020 $354 (5.0%) $6,772 (95.0%) $7,126
2021 $843 (10.1%) $7,513 (89.9%) $8,356

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Gayton 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 42nd of 1105 Elementary schoolsRanks 18th of 1114 Elementary schools
 2.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Gayton Elementary)9387.1
 5.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Henrico County Public Schools)8164.4
 16.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8269.1
 12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Gayton Elementary)9088.2
 1.8%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Henrico County Public Schools)7064.4
 5.6%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)7166.1
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Gayton Elementary)9594.4
 0.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Henrico County Public Schools)8167.1
 13.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8369.7
 13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Gayton Elementary)9298.1
 6.1%
   4th Grade English Reading (Henrico County Public Schools)7473
 1%
   4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7572.7
 2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Gayton Elementary)9596
 0.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Henrico County Public Schools)8466.6
 17.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Gayton Elementary)9396
 2.9%
   5th Grade Science (Henrico County Public Schools)8268
 14%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Gayton Elementary)9698.7
 2.7%
   5th Grade English Reading (Henrico County Public Schools)8069.8
 10.2%
   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 Students589544
 7.6%
African American1726
 52.9%
American Indian00
Asian4246
 9.5%
Hispanic1928
 47.4%
Pacific Islander00
White477415
 13%
Two or More Races3429
 14.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients10.5%18.9%
 8.4%


Schools Near Gayton Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Gayton Elementary

Students who attend Gayton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pocahontas Middle
High : Mills E. Godwin High

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

Yes. Gayton Elementary ranks in the top 6.8% of Virginia elementary schools.

Students at Gayton Elementary are 76% White, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 5% African American.


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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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