Enrollment
373
Elementary
DISTRICT 336 · STATE 499
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·STAUNTON CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510369001604
Bessie Weller Elementary
600 Greenville Ave, Staunton, VA 24401 · (540) 332-3940 · Staunton city
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL373 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.0:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.3:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
83%
310 students
DISTRICT 85% · STATE 66%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 56 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 77 | 21% |
| Grade 2 | 57 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 71 | 19% |
| Grade 4 | 53 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 59 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (56) is 5% smaller than its 5th grade class (59).
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 58% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within Staunton City Public Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
SOL 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
74.0%
VA avg 74.2% . +5.0pp since 2022
Math
75.0%
VA avg 72.7% . +5.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 74 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 75 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Virginia schools, those numbers are about 74 and 73. Reading and writing scores are up about 5 points since 2022, while math scores are up about 5 points.
SOL results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 74.0% | 75.0% |
| 2023-24 | 68.0% | 75.0% |
| 2022-23 | 69.0% | 70.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SOL. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
75.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
65.5%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 76% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 65% typical for Virginia schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Virginia's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Bessie Weller Elementary
Bessie Weller Elementary's state test result (75.7% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bessie Weller Elementary this school | 373 | 83.1% | 75.7% |
| Lee M. Waid Elementary Rocky Mount | 386 | 85.5% | 83.5% |
| Arthur R. Ware Elementary Staunton | 372 | 83.3% | 76.8% |
| Herman L. Horn Elementary Vinton | 399 | 82.5% | 80.4% |
| Tye River Elementary Arrington | 360 | 85.3% | 70.5% |
| King's Grant Elementary Virginia Beach | 475 | 83.2% | 73.9% |
Matched among Virginia elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Bessie Weller Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 75.7% | #423 of 1,101 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 75.0% | #547 of 1,111 ▼ 46 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 74.0% | #493 of 1,111 ▲ 176 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 373 | #871 of 1,176 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.0:1 | #178 of 1,105 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 64.0% | #448 of 1,106 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 83.1% | #460 of 1,157 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -1.8% | #706 of 759 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
373
+26 (+7%) vs 2020
-9% since 1990-91, when it was 412
Student : Teacher
12.0:1
was 13.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 373 | 31 | 12.0:1 | 83% (310) |
| 2023-24 | 377 | 31 | 12.2:1 | 81% (307) |
| 2022-23 | 369 | 30 | 12.3:1 | 99% (365) |
| 2020-21 | 347 | 26 | 13.3:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 380 | 30.5 | 12.5:1 | 66% (252) |
| 2015-16 | 404 | 31 | 13.0:1 | 70% (284) |
| 2010-11 | 418 | 15 | 27.9:1 | 72% (301) |
| 2000-01 | 265 | 26 | 10.2:1 | 68% (181) |
| 1990-91 | 412 | 28 | 14.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Bessie Weller Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 2% (380 to 373); teachers up 2% (30.5 to 31).
About Bessie Weller Elementary
Federal records list Bessie Weller Elementary as an elementary school in Staunton, Virginia. The school counted 373 students in 2024-25, covering kindergarten through 5. That puts enrollment 25% below the 499-student average for elementary schools in Virginia.
Staunton City Public Schools has 2,692 students spread across 6 schools.
About 54% of the student body at Bessie Weller Elementary is White. Smaller groups are 17% multiracial, 15% Black, 12% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. County-wide, 79% of Staunton city residents are White. A diversity index of 64% means there is a 64% chance two randomly chosen students at Bessie Weller Elementary are from different groups.
A staff of 31 full-time-equivalent teachers puts the student-to-teacher ratio at 12.0:1. Compared with the 13.8:1 average for elementary schools in Virginia, this school's ratio is lower. By family income, 83% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The average for public schools in Staunton city is similar, at 83%.
Given its share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Bessie Weller Elementary would be expected to post about 65.5%. Its actual average proficiency rate across its state test results is 75.7%.
In Staunton city, median household income comes to about $65,581, roughly 38% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 8%. The county's public schools total 11, with about 2,780 students.
Among nearby public schools, Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind Elementary is closest at about 1.0 miles. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. Among 5 nearby schools that report test results, Bessie Weller Elementary ranks 4th on proficiency.
By NCES locale, the school is City: Small, or inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
In 2020-21, Bessie Weller Elementary enrolled 347 students. By 2024-25, that number had grown to 373. The student-to-teacher ratio dropped from 13.3:1 in 2020-21 to 12.0:1 in 2024-25.
The Bessie Weller Elementary discussion page is a place for special education services, counseling, and support programs. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Staunton city at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
25,948
Census ACS
Median income
$65,581
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
38%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
11
2,780 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Staunton City Public Schools
- Staunton HighHigh · 766 students
- Shelburne MiddleMiddle · 583 students
- Thomas C. McSwain ElementaryElementary · 449 students
- Arthur R. Ware ElementaryElementary · 372 students
- Staunton City School PreSchool ProgramsElementary · 149 students
Other schools in Staunton
- Staunton HighHigh · 766 students
- Riverheads ElementaryElementary · 714 students
- Beverley Manor MiddleMiddle · 612 students
- Shelburne MiddleMiddle · 583 students
- Riverheads HighHigh · 467 students
- Thomas C. McSwain ElementaryElementary · 449 students
Nearby schools
- Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind Elementary1.0 mi · 7
- Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind Middle1.0 mi · 16
- Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind1.0 mi · 65
- Thomas C. McSwain Elementary1.9 mi · 449
- Shelburne Middle2.1 mi · 583
- Arthur R. Ware Elementary2.1 mi · 372
Frequently asked questions
About Bessie Weller ElementaryHow many students attend Bessie Weller Elementary?
Bessie Weller Elementary enrolls approximately 373 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does Bessie Weller Elementary serve?
Bessie Weller Elementary serves grades KG-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bessie Weller Elementary?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Bessie Weller Elementary is approximately 12.0:1 (31 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Bessie Weller Elementary?
Student demographics at Bessie Weller Elementary are roughly 54% White, 12% Hispanic, 15% Black, 2% Asian, 17% Two or more.
Is Bessie Weller Elementary public or private?
Bessie Weller Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Staunton City Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.