Joseph Van Pelt Elementary

Joseph Van Pelt Elementary is one of the middle-of-the-pack elementary schools in Bristol, Virginia, one of the schools within Bristol City Public Schools, with 425 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5.

Within Bristol City Public Schools, which oversees 8 schools and 3,238 students, Joseph Van Pelt Elementary is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Joseph Van Pelt Elementary lists that White students make up the majority at 79%; the rest breaks down as 10% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 4% Black.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Joseph Van Pelt Elementary has 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.7:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.8:1 average. About 97% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

With demographic context factored in, Joseph Van Pelt Elementary ranks in the top 10% of Virginia public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 61.7%; Joseph Van Pelt Elementary posts 76.3%, +14.5 points above that line.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Bristol city put median household earnings sit near $50,404, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Joseph Van Pelt Elementary is one of 10 public schools in Bristol city (combined enrollment of about 3,238 students).

The closest other public school is Virginia Primary School, roughly 0.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Joseph Van Pelt Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Joseph Van Pelt Elementary at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 72.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a residential area.

Five-year trend. Joseph Van Pelt Elementary's enrollment has decreased 8% since 2018, when it stood at 461 (now 425). Class-load math has narrowed: from 19.4:1 in 2018 to 11.6:1 in 2024.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.