Virginia Heights Elementary

Summary:

Virginia Heights Elementary is a public elementary school in Roanoke, Virginia, serving 266 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Roanoke City Public Schools district, which is ranked 119 out of 130 districts in Virginia and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Virginia Heights Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with a racial makeup of 50.75% White, 22.18% African American, 15.04% Hispanic, and 4.14% Asian. However, the school's academic performance has been mixed, with the school outperforming the district in some subject areas but still falling below state averages. Additionally, Virginia Heights Elementary has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with over 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than nearby schools like Crystal Spring Elementary and Grandin Court Elementary.

Over the past several years, Virginia Heights Elementary has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 486 out of 1,096 Virginia elementary schools in 2015-2016 to 825 out of 1,114 in the 2023-2024 school year. This trend is concerning and suggests the need for improvement in the school's academic performance, particularly in addressing achievement gaps among student subgroups and the challenges related to the high concentration of students from low-income families.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1210 Amherst Ave SW
       Roanoke, VA  24015


(540) 853-2937

District: Roanoke City Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
825th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,239 Help


Students who attend Virginia Heights Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Woodrow Wilson Middle
High:    Patrick Henry High

Student/teacher ratio:  11.0 Help
Number of students:  266

Racial breakdown:

White:
50.8%
African American:
22.2%
Hispanic:
15.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  103% Help


 See top rated Virginia elementary schools

 Compare Virginia Heights Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Virginia Heights Elementary ranks worse than 74.1% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 5th among 17 ranked elementary schools in the Roanoke City Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.96. (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 Virginia Heights Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Roanoke City Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Virginia Heights Elementary is $11,239, which is the 4th highest among 17 elementary schools in the Roanoke City Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Virginia Heights Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Virginia Heights Elementary 825th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Virginia Heights Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Roanoke City Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Roanoke City Public Schools 119th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Virginia Heights Elementary?

Rank History for Virginia Heights Elementary

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Virginia Heights Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 38.34 770th 1062 27.5%
2006 50.81 590th 1071 44.9%
2007 58.33 463rd 1083 57.2%
2008 57.88 478th 1081 55.8%
2009 58.44 458th 1082 57.7%
2010 42.79 783rd 1113 29.6%
2011 32.43 914th 1117 18.2%
2012 36.03 855th 1117 23.5%
2013 43.23 713th 1120 36.3%
2014 43.69 692nd 1110 37.7%
2015 45.58 694th 1100 36.9%
2016 58.39 486th 1096 55.7%
2017 53.66 571st 1099 48.0%
2018 54.46 565th 1097 48.5%
2019 57.40 523rd 1105 52.7%
2021 46.47 644th 1103 41.6%
2022 28.41 861st 1109 22.4%
2023 37.12 756th 1114 32.1%
2024 30.96 825th 1114 25.9%
See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Virginia Heights Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 48.22 586th 1036 43.4%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Virginia Heights Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 39.74 724th 1100 34.2%
2024 27.04 866th 1098 21.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Virginia Heights Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.44 753rd 1093 31.1%
2024 41.36 713th 1101 35.2%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Virginia Heights Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 35.31 712th 984 27.6%
2024 28.46 781st 979 20.2%
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.

Virginia Heights 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: 3)
50%

0%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Saturday, November 15, 2014

Open Quote I thought Virginia Heights would be a good school for my children. Turns out it was all just a show. My children actually did better at a lower ranking school. I feel the teachers at Virginia Heights could put a better effort on teaching students and not "pushing" them through assignments. Better communication between teachers and parents would also be more helpful. Close Quote


Facebook Profile Picture by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Open Quote Virgnia Heights is a positive learning enviornment which nurtures their children and has since I was a child and went there myself. They are caring and concerned about their students and are quick to offer any assistance they can. I am proud to be a Virginia Heights Parent. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Virginia Heights Elementary

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1994 190 65 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 258
1995 186 72 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 260
1996 186 72 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 260
1997 190 91 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 284
1998 188 93 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 283
1999 189 104 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 295
2000 198 97 0 2 0 n/a n/a -4 293
2001 197 100 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 300
2002 184 116 2 7 1 n/a n/a 0 310
2003 184 116 2 7 1 n/a n/a 0 310
2004 183 113 1 8 2 n/a n/a 0 307
2005 159 113 6 7 3 n/a n/a 0 288
2006 137 118 10 9 1 n/a n/a 0 275
2007 133 140 7 12 1 n/a n/a 0 293
2008 143 114 7 17 1 n/a n/a 0 282
2009 144 128 13 22 1 n/a n/a 0 308
2010 193 84 21 32 0 n/a n/a 0 330
2011 172 95 28 44 0 0 15 0 354
2012 185 94 48 33 0 0 11 0 371
2013 182 88 36 30 0 0 7 0 343
2014 207 91 39 34 0 0 6 0 377
2015 190 82 41 38 0 0 12 0 363
2016 205 66 36 39 0 1 13 0 360
2017 174 76 21 38 0 0 15 0 324
2018 175 64 31 39 0 0 13 0 322
2019 173 59 22 38 0 0 18 0 310
2020 161 66 20 42 1 0 26 0 316
2021 143 67 18 32 1 0 33 0 294
2022 152 66 12 33 1 0 25 0 289
2023 135 59 11 40 0 0 21 0 266

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 Virginia Heights Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 258 15.6 n/a 52.3
1995 260 n/a 0.0 45.4
1996 260 n/a 0.0 45.4
1997 284 n/a 0.0 47.9
1998 283 n/a 0.0 49.1
1999 295 16.1 18.3 54.2
2000 293 n/a 0.0 51.2
2001 300 24.8 12.1 53.7
2002 310 31.3 9.9 66.5
2003 310 31.3 9.9 66.5
2004 307 25.1 12.2 65.1
2005 288 24.1 12.0 64.2
2006 275 23.0 12.0 71.3
2007 293 28.1 10.4 67.9
2008 282 22.5 12.5 69.5
2009 308 21.5 14.3 67.9
2010 330 22.7 14.5 69.1
2011 354 23.5 15.0 71.2
2012 371 21.7 17.0 72.8
2013 343 20.8 16.4 72.6
2014 377 21.7 17.3 70.6
2015 363 23.0 15.7 70.8
2016 360 22.0 16.3 99.2
2017 324 23.2 13.9 99.1
2018 322 24.1 13.3 99.1
2019 310 24.1 12.8 99
2020 316 23.1 13.6 99.1
2021 294 22.5 13.0 n/a
2022 289 23.7 12.1 99
2023 266 24.0 11.0 103

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 Virginia Heights Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 258 15.6 n/a 52.3
1995 260 n/a 0.0 45.4
1996 260 n/a 0.0 45.4
1997 284 n/a 0.0 47.9
1998 283 n/a 0.0 49.1
1999 295 16.1 18.3 54.2
2000 293 n/a 0.0 51.2
2001 300 24.8 12.1 53.7
2002 310 31.3 9.9 66.5
2003 310 31.3 9.9 66.5
2004 307 25.1 12.2 65.1
2005 288 24.1 12.0 64.2
2006 275 23.0 12.0 71.3
2007 293 28.1 10.4 67.9
2008 282 22.5 12.5 69.5
2009 308 21.5 14.3 67.9
2010 330 22.7 14.5 69.1
2011 354 23.5 15.0 71.2
2012 371 21.7 17.0 72.8
2013 343 20.8 16.4 72.6
2014 377 21.7 17.3 70.6
2015 363 23.0 15.7 70.8
2016 360 22.0 16.3 99.2
2017 324 23.2 13.9 99.1
2018 322 24.1 13.3 99.1
2019 310 24.1 12.8 99
2020 316 23.1 13.6 99.1
2021 294 22.5 13.0 n/a
2022 289 23.7 12.1 99
2023 266 24.0 11.0 103

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 Virginia Heights Elementary

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,158 (10.3%) $10,037 (89.7%) $11,195
2020 $1,044 (11.8%) $7,785 (88.2%) $8,829
2021 $1,037 (9.2%) $10,202 (90.8%) $11,239

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Virginia Heights 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 523rd of 1105 Elementary schoolsRanks 756th of 1114 Elementary schools
 20.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia Heights Elementary)8457.9
 26.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Roanoke City Public Schools)7846.7
 31.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8269.1
 12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia Heights Elementary)8257.1
 24.9%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Roanoke City Public Schools)6340.7
 22.4%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)7166.1
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia Heights Elementary)9571.1
 24%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Roanoke City Public Schools)8254.9
 27.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8369.7
 13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Virginia Heights Elementary)7759.5
 17.5%
   4th Grade English Reading (Roanoke City Public Schools)6852.2
 15.8%
   4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7572.7
 2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia Heights Elementary)8872
 16%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Roanoke City Public Schools)8051.3
 28.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Virginia Heights Elementary)6758
 9%
   5th Grade Science (Roanoke City Public Schools)7245.2
 26.8%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Virginia Heights Elementary)7566
 9%
   5th Grade English Reading (Roanoke City Public Schools)7250.2
 21.8%
   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 Students310266
 14.2%
African American5959
American Indian00
Asian2211
 50%
Hispanic3840
 5.3%
Pacific Islander00
White173135
 22%
Two or More Races1821
 16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99%103%
 4%


Schools Near Virginia Heights Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Virginia Heights Elementary

Students who attend Virginia Heights Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Woodrow Wilson Middle
High : Patrick Henry High

In the 2022-23 school year, 266 students attended Virginia Heights Elementary.

Students at Virginia Heights Elementary are 51% White, 22% African American, 15% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Virginia Heights Elementary ranks 825th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.


Rate Virginia Heights Elementary!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Virginia Heights Elementary!




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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 37 milliseconds.