Otter River Elementary

Otter River Elementary operates as a minimally staffed elementary school in Goode, Virginia, one of the schools within Bedford County Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 167 students spanning grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 499 students per school, that is 67% below typical.

Bedford County Public Schools comprises 19 schools with combined enrollment of 8,930 students; Otter River Elementary is among them.

In terms of who attends, Otter River Elementary reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (82%); the rest is composed of 7% multiracial, 5% Hispanic, 5% Black. Compared to Bedford County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.7:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. About 37% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Bedford County runs at roughly 59%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Otter River Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 78.2%; this one delivers 79.9%.

In the surrounding community, census data for Bedford County shows median household income runs about $78,937, 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. In all, Bedford County runs 22 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,930 students), of which Otter River Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Liberty Middle, roughly 3.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Otter River Elementary at 4th of 8; the average score across the group is 75.6%.

The campus sits in a countryside setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Otter River Elementary has declined 25%, going from 224 students in 2018 to 167 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 17.2:1 in 2018 to 13.7:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.