Enrollment
276
Elementary
DISTRICT 280 · STATE 499
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BOTETOURT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510042000167
Buchanan Elementary
255 Schoolhouse Rd, Buchanan, VA 24066 · (540) 254-2084 · Botetourt County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL276 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 80% of Virginia public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Virginia public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
12.2:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.5:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
70%
193 students
DISTRICT 41% · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 24 | 9% |
| Kindergarten | 37 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 33 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 41 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 55 | 20% |
| Grade 4 | 43 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 43 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (37) is 14% smaller than its 5th grade class (43).
Student demographics
16%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 28% · 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
Test scores
SOL 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
81.0%
VA avg 74.2% . -1.0pp since 2022
Math
80.0%
VA avg 72.7% . -6.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 81 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 80 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Virginia schools, those numbers are about 74 and 73. Reading and writing scores are down about 1 points since 2022, while math scores are down about 6 points.
SOL results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 81.0% | 80.0% |
| 2023-24 | 79.0% | 87.0% |
| 2022-23 | 82.0% | 86.0% |
% 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
80.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
69.1%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+11.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 80% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 69% 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 Buchanan Elementary
Buchanan Elementary's state test result (80.3% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Elementary this school | 276 | 69.9% | 80.3% |
| Duffield-Pattonsville Primary Duffield | 308 | 70.1% | 74.5% |
| Nickelsville Elementary Nickelsville | 302 | 73.8% | 77.3% |
| Ottobine Elementary Dayton | 248 | 74.2% | 72.3% |
| Valley Institute Elementary Bristol | 250 | 75.6% | 80.9% |
| Bland County Elementary Bland | 301 | 75.4% | 70.1% |
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 Buchanan Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Virginia | In Botetourt County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 80.3% | #306 of 1,101 | #6 of 7 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 80.0% | #395 of 1,111 ▼ 249 | #7 of 7 ▼ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 81.0% | #296 of 1,111 ▲ 37 | #5 of 7 ▲ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 276 | #1,007 of 1,176 | #3 of 7 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.2:1 | #203 of 1,105 | #3 of 6 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 16.2% | #1,069 of 1,106 | #6 of 6 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 69.9% | #683 of 1,157 | #2 of 7 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +6.6% | #176 of 324 | N/A |
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
276
-16 (-5%) vs 2020
-21% since 1990-91, when it was 350
Student : Teacher
12.2:1
was 14.6:1
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 | 276 | 22.6 | 12.2:1 | 70% (193) |
| 2023-24 | 300 | 23.2 | 12.9:1 | 47% (142) |
| 2022-23 | 311 | 24.3 | 12.8:1 | 47% (145) |
| 2020-21 | 292 | 20 | 14.6:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 259 | 19.5 | 13.3:1 | 48% (125) |
| 2015-16 | 297 | 18 | 16.5:1 | 46% (136) |
| 2010-11 | 320 | 20 | 16.0:1 | 36% (114) |
| 2000-01 | 322 | 25 | 12.9:1 | 20% (63) |
| 1990-91 | 350 | 20 | 17.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Buchanan Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 7% (259 to 276); teachers up 16% (19.5 to 22.6).
About Buchanan Elementary
Buchanan Elementary is an elementary school in Buchanan, Virginia, and it is part of Botetourt County Public Schools. It educates 276 students in pre-K through 5. The school's enrollment is 45% smaller than the 499 average for elementary schools in Virginia.
Buchanan Elementary is one school in an 11-school district, Botetourt County Public Schools, which enrolls 4,424 students.
Federal enrollment data show Buchanan Elementary is 91% White. It is also 6% multiracial and 3% Hispanic. That is close to the 91% White share among all Botetourt County residents. Buchanan Elementary's diversity index is 16%, against a US figure of 70%.
Its teaching staff equals 22.6 full-time positions, a ratio of 12.2:1. That is lower than the 13.8:1 average for elementary schools in Virginia. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, a common measure of family income, is 70%. The 37% average for public schools in Botetourt County is 33 points lower.
Measured against Virginia public elementary schools, Buchanan Elementary receives an A-. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Based on student poverty, the model expects 69.1% at Buchanan Elementary; the school's average proficiency rate on state tests is 80.3%.
Buchanan Elementary is located in Botetourt County, where the median household income is $81,213, roughly 29% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 3%. Buchanan Elementary is one of 13 public schools in the county.
The shortest distance from Buchanan Elementary to another public school is about 2.7 miles, to James River High. Other public schools within ten miles: 5. The school's 80.3% average proficiency ranks 6th among 9 nearby schools.
Under the NCES locale system, Buchanan Elementary is Rural: Distant.
Enrollment declined 5% from its 2020-21 level of 292. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 14.6:1 to 12.2:1.
Community posts for Buchanan Elementary can cover school safety, transportation, and start times. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Botetourt County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
34,004
Census ACS
Median income
$81,213
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
29%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
3%
Below federal line
Schools in county
13
4,424 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Botetourt County Public Schools
- Lord Botetourt HighHigh · 963 students
- Read Mountain MiddleMiddle · 670 students
- James River HighHigh · 464 students
- Colonial ElementaryElementary · 439 students
- Greenfield ElementaryElementary · 435 students
- Central Academy MiddleMiddle · 364 students
Other Buchanan Elementary schools
8 other US public schools in 8 states are named Buchanan Elementary. Buchanan Elementary is the 8th largest of the 9.
- BUCHANAN ELEMENTARYBRANSON, MO · 578 students
- Buchanan Elementary SchoolLIVONIA, MI · 483 students
- Buchanan ElementaryMurfreesboro, TN · 475 students
- Buchanan Elementary SchoolOklahoma City, OK · 460 students
- Buchanan Elementary - 03Pierre, SD · 432 students
Nearby schools
- James River High2.7 mi · 464
- Central Academy Middle8.7 mi · 364
- Troutville Elementary9.3 mi · 247
- Breckinridge Elementary9.3 mi · 211
- Montvale Elementary9.4 mi · 252
- Eagle Rock Elementary11.6 mi · 121
Frequently asked questions
About Buchanan ElementaryHow large is Buchanan Elementary?
Buchanan Elementary enrolls approximately 276 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does Buchanan Elementary serve?
Buchanan Elementary serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many teachers does Buchanan Elementary have?
Buchanan Elementary employs 23 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.2:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Buchanan Elementary?
At Buchanan Elementary, the student body is approximately 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 0% Black, 6% Two or more.
Is Buchanan Elementary public or private?
Buchanan Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Botetourt County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.