Is Harding Avenue Elementary a good school?

Yes! Harding Avenue Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 37 th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools.

How many students attend Harding Avenue Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 296 students attended Harding Avenue Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Harding Avenue Elementary?

Students at Harding Avenue Elementary are 71% White, 10% Asian, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Harding Avenue Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harding Avenue Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Blacksburg Middle High : Blacksburg High

Harding Avenue Elementary

Summary:

Harding Avenue Elementary is a public elementary school in Blacksburg, Virginia, serving 296 students in grades K-5 and part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 42 out of 130 school districts in the state.

Harding Avenue Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Virginia, with students outperforming state and district averages in SOL assessments by 10-20 percentage points. For example, the school's 3rd-grade math proficiency rate was 92% in 2023-2024, compared to 74.9% for the Montgomery County district and 70.11% for the state. The school also has a more diverse student population, with higher percentages of Asian and Hispanic students compared to nearby schools like Eastern Montgomery Elementary and Riverlawn Elementary. Additionally, Harding Avenue Elementary has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (17.57% in 2022-2023) than the surrounding schools, indicating a lower proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Harding Avenue Elementary's consistent academic excellence, diverse student population, and efficient resource allocation make it a standout institution in the region. The school's success may provide valuable insights for other schools seeking to improve their educational outcomes, and its performance is likely due to a combination of factors, including effective teaching, a supportive learning environment, and strong parental involvement.

Detail:

Public K-5

429 Harding Avenue
Blacksburg, VA 24060

(540) 951-5732

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,958

Students who attend Harding Avenue Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Blacksburg Middle
High:	Blacksburg High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 296

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.3%

Asian:

10.5%

Hispanic:

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.6%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

Compare Harding Avenue Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harding Avenue Elementary ranks better than 96.7% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks first among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.79. (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 Harding Avenue Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Montgomery 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 Harding Avenue Elementary is $8,958. 5 elementary schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Harding Avenue Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Harding Avenue Elementary 37^th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Harding Avenue Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Montgomery County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Montgomery County Public Schools 42^nd of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Harding Avenue Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	68.67	288^th	1062	72.9%
2006	70.96	256^th	1071	76.1%
2007	69.73	285^th	1083	73.7%
2008	78.21	134^th	1081	87.6%
2009	77.46	144^th	1082	86.7%
2010	72.81	217^th	1113	80.5%
2011	76.62	181^st	1117	83.8%
2012	76.71	178^th	1117	84.1%
2013	91.64	17^th	1120	98.5%
2014	83.24	112^th	1110	89.9%
2015	85.98	52^nd	1100	95.3%
2016	76.28	205^th	1096	81.3%
2017	72.01	274^th	1099	75.1%
2018	70.50	305^th	1097	72.2%
2019	64.63	422^nd	1105	61.8%
2021	88.88	89^th	1103	91.9%
2022	89.90	56^th	1109	95.0%
2023	92.71	22^nd	1114	98.0%
2024	90.79	37^th	1114	96.7%

See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	91.49	24^th	1100	97.8%
2024	85.39	96^th	1098	91.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	90.73	29^th	1093	97.3%
2024	91.65	23^rd	1101	97.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	90.34	11^th	984	98.9%
2024	88.07	22^nd	979	97.8%

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 Harding Avenue 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	325	325
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	373	373
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	384	384
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	394	394
1993	328	16	0	6	9	n/a	n/a	0	359
1994	333	13	11	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	363
1995	274	18	10	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
1996	274	18	10	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
1997	248	15	11	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	278
1998	249	18	19	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	292
1999	217	28	17	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	271
2000	202	27	17	10	1	n/a	n/a	-4	253
2001	192	21	10	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	228
2002	177	11	16	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	208
2003	177	11	16	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	208
2004	192	14	20	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	228
2005	186	11	16	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	218
2006	185	11	16	3	1	n/a	n/a	2	218
2007	191	12	29	5	1	n/a	n/a	4	242
2008	198	10	21	5	1	n/a	n/a	4	239
2009	212	10	20	7	1	n/a	n/a	8	258
2010	213	9	25	3	1	n/a	n/a	13	264
2011	213	6	27	9	0	0	13	0	268
2012	209	10	29	8	0	0	17	0	273
2013	205	13	23	11	0	1	11	0	264
2014	217	11	24	11	0	1	15	0	279
2015	227	13	31	17	0	0	12	0	300
2016	238	12	35	25	0	0	18	0	328
2017	244	12	33	17	0	0	17	0	323
2018	260	9	43	18	0	0	19	0	349
2019	246	11	40	20	0	0	30	0	347
2020	238	10	32	30	0	0	26	0	336
2021	210	9	29	31	1	0	23	0	303
2022	189	9	27	24	1	0	22	0	272
2023	211	5	31	28	1	0	20	0	296

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 Harding Avenue Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	325	17.5	18.5	n/a
1990	373	18.9	19.7	n/a
1991	384	20.9	18.3	n/a
1992	394	21.3	18.4	n/a
1993	359	21.7	16.5	n/a
1994	363	16.5	n/a	11
1995	307	n/a	0.0	21.8
1996	307	n/a	0.0	21.8
1997	278	n/a	0.0	20.1
1998	292	n/a	0.0	26.4
1999	271	21.1	12.8	32.8
2000	253	n/a	0.0	26.5
2001	228	21.0	10.9	25
2002	208	24.5	8.5	24
2003	208	24.5	8.5	24
2004	228	22.5	10.1	25.4
2005	218	20.5	10.6	24.8
2006	218	22.0	9.9	25.9
2007	242	22.5	10.8	23.1
2008	239	16.8	14.2	21.7
2009	258	18.0	14.3	23.2
2010	264	17.7	14.9	18.7
2011	268	18.9	14.1	17.9
2012	273	18.4	14.7	20.9
2013	264	19.8	13.3	20.5
2014	279	21.1	13.1	21.5
2015	300	24.0	12.5	17.7
2016	328	22.0	14.9	20.7
2017	323	22.7	14.2	22.3
2018	349	21.6	16.1	19.2
2019	347	23.9	14.4	18.7
2020	336	24.9	13.4	19.3
2021	303	23.4	12.9	n/a
2022	272	21.0	12.9	23.9
2023	296	22.2	13.3	17.6

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 Harding Avenue Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	325	17.5	18.5	n/a
1990	373	18.9	19.7	n/a
1991	384	20.9	18.3	n/a
1992	394	21.3	18.4	n/a
1993	359	21.7	16.5	n/a
1994	363	16.5	n/a	11
1995	307	n/a	0.0	21.8
1996	307	n/a	0.0	21.8
1997	278	n/a	0.0	20.1
1998	292	n/a	0.0	26.4
1999	271	21.1	12.8	32.8
2000	253	n/a	0.0	26.5
2001	228	21.0	10.9	25
2002	208	24.5	8.5	24
2003	208	24.5	8.5	24
2004	228	22.5	10.1	25.4
2005	218	20.5	10.6	24.8
2006	218	22.0	9.9	25.9
2007	242	22.5	10.8	23.1
2008	239	16.8	14.2	21.7
2009	258	18.0	14.3	23.2
2010	264	17.7	14.9	18.7
2011	268	18.9	14.1	17.9
2012	273	18.4	14.7	20.9
2013	264	19.8	13.3	20.5
2014	279	21.1	13.1	21.5
2015	300	24.0	12.5	17.7
2016	328	22.0	14.9	20.7
2017	323	22.7	14.2	22.3
2018	349	21.6	16.1	19.2
2019	347	23.9	14.4	18.7
2020	336	24.9	13.4	19.3
2021	303	23.4	12.9	n/a
2022	272	21.0	12.9	23.9
2023	296	22.2	13.3	17.6

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 Harding Avenue Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$182 (2.8%)	$6,268 (97.2%)	$6,450
2020	$117 (1.6%)	$7,346 (98.4%)	$7,463
2021	$441 (4.9%)	$8,517 (95.1%)	$8,958

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Harding Avenue 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 422^nd of 1105 Elementary schools	Ranks 22^nd of 1114 Elementary schools	36.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Harding Avenue Elementary)	93	94.6	1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County Public Schools)	86	75.5	10.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	82	69.1	12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Harding Avenue Elementary)	74	94.6	20.6%
3rd Grade English Reading (Montgomery County Public Schools)	72	69.5	2.5%
3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)	71	66.1	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Harding Avenue Elementary)	90	92.6	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County Public Schools)	82	77.9	4.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	83	69.7	13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Harding Avenue Elementary)	88	94.4	6.4%
4th Grade English Reading (Montgomery County Public Schools)	78	78.8	0.8%
4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	75	72.7	2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Harding Avenue Elementary)	87	96.8	9.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Montgomery County Public Schools)	86	76.1	9.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	81	67	14%
5th Grade Science (Harding Avenue Elementary)	81	93.6	12.6%
5th Grade Science (Montgomery County Public Schools)	81	72.4	8.6%
5th Grade Science (Virginia)	79	66	13%
5th Grade English Reading (Harding Avenue Elementary)	72	91.9	19.9%
5th Grade English Reading (Montgomery County Public Schools)	80	75.6	4.4%
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	347	296	14.7%
African American	11	5	54.5%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	40	31	22.5%
Hispanic	20	28	40%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	246	211	14.2%
Two or More Races	30	20	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.7%	17.6%	1.2%

Schools Near Harding Avenue 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harding Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	429 Harding Avenue	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5732	296	22	13.3	17.6%	211 (71.3%)	5 (1.7%)	28 (9.5%)	31 (10.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.8%)	90.8	37^th of 1114 public elementary schools	96.7%		92.7	22^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	98.0%	15	92.0	97.5	85.2	88.7	84.0	97.4	96.3	97.4	$8,958	$441	$8,517
Gilbert Linkous Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	813 Toms Creek Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5726	329	26	12.6	24.0%	219 (66.6%)	17 (5.2%)	25 (7.6%)	48 (14.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.8%)	80.6	208^th of 1114 public elementary schools	81.3%		70.6	335^th of 1114 public elementary schools	69.9%	127	94.4	81.4	84.4	84.4	88.7	82.5	83.1	76.4	$8,971	$367	$8,603
Margaret Beeks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	709 Airport Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5700	343	29	11.9	36.4%	254 (74.1%)	26 (7.6%)	17 (5.0%)	22 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.0%)	70.2	351^st of 1114 public elementary schools	68.5%		81.5	182^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	83.7%	169	78.7	96.3	73.3	70.0	71.7	86.5	73.3	86.5	$8,541	$49	$8,493
Kipps Elementary	Public	K-5	2801 Prices Fork Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 951-5760	369	28	13.1	20.3%	248 (67.2%)	11 (3.0%)	27 (7.3%)	63 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.1%)	87.1	90^th of 1114 public elementary schools	91.9%		85.1	122^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	89.0%	32	92.7	87.5	88.7	85.5	87.8	85.5	88.5	86.8	$8,132	$188	$7,944
Prices Fork Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4021 Prices Fork Rd	Blacksburg	24060	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 951-5736	440	33	13.3	58.0%	332 (75.5%)	13 (3.0%)	59 (13.4%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.1%)	63.1	450^th of 1114 public elementary schools	59.6%		59.8	479^th of 1114 public elementary schools	57.0%	29	80.7	84.9	76.2	69.8	68.4	67.6	77.1	77.9	$10,199	$682	$9,518
Christiansburg Elementary	Public	3-5	160 Wades Lane	Christiansburg	24073	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 382-5172	407	29	14.0	41.3%	301 (74.0%)	27 (6.6%)	32 (7.9%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.6%)	68.5	377^th of 1114 public elementary schools	66.2%		69.8	349^th of 1114 public elementary schools	68.7%	28	78.4	80.2	76.4	75.0	74.3	77.4	78.9	77.4	$9,247	$923	$8,323
Christiansburg Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	240 Betty Drive	Christiansburg	24073	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 382-5175	405	34	11.9	48.9%	289 (71.4%)	36 (8.9%)	32 (7.9%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	40 (9.9%)								(n/a)									$8,849	$487	$8,362
Belview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3187 Peppers Ferry Rd	Radford	24141	Radford city	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 633-3200	293	23	12.7	51.9%	211 (72.0%)	29 (9.9%)	18 (6.1%)	7 (2.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.5%)	33.8	792^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	28.9%		34.8	791^st of 1114 public elementary schools	29.0%	1	40.0	64.3	68.2	72.7	50.0	69.1	72.7	54.8	$10,493	$925	$9,569
Falling Branch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	735 Falling Branch Rd	Christiansburg	24073	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 381-6145	576	44	13.1	52.3%	462 (80.2%)	21 (3.6%)	48 (8.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.3%)	47.8	643^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	42.3%		58.2	503^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	54.8%	140	62.0	72.3	72.8	73.9	56.7	69.9	73.3	64.5	$8,303	$476	$7,827
Eastern Montgomery Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4580 Eastern Montgomery Ln.	Elliston	24087	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(540) 268-1147	385	33	11.6	75.6%	319 (82.9%)	7 (1.8%)	42 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	22	927^th of 1114 public elementary schools	16.8%		14.4	985^th of 1114 public elementary schools	11.6%	58	39.1	48.8	66.0	69.8	40.6	39.0	71.2	29.3	$10,345	$1,451	$8,894

Harding Avenue Elementary

Harding Avenue Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Montgomery County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Harding Avenue Elementary

Rank History for all students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Rank History for White students at Harding Avenue Elementary

Enrollment information for Harding Avenue Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Harding Avenue Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Harding Avenue Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Harding Avenue Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Harding Avenue Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Harding Avenue Elementary