1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
498
Elementary
DISTRICT 467 · STATE 499
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NEWPORT NEWS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510264001075
T. Ryland Sanford Elementary
480 Colony Road, Newport News, VA 23602 · (757) 886-7778 · Newport News city
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL498 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
18.4:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.0:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
493 students
DISTRICT 99% · STATE 66%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. 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
65.0%
VA avg 74.2% . +11.0pp since 2022
Math
62.0%
VA avg 72.7% . +9.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 65 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 62 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 11 points since 2022, while math scores are up about 9 points.
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
58.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
61.1%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-2.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 59% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 61% 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 →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
498
-78 (-14%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
18.4:1
was 17.4:1
% White
24%
was 27%
% Hispanic
19%
was 11%
% Black
42%
was 43%
% Asian
4%
was 5%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About T. Ryland Sanford Elementary
As a middle-of-the-pack primary school in Newport News, Virginia, T. Ryland Sanford Elementary caters to 498 students from grades pre-K through 5, part of Newport News City Public Schools.
Newport News City Public Schools comprises 40 schools with combined enrollment of 25,882 students; T. Ryland Sanford Elementary is among them.
For racial and ethnic makeup, T. Ryland Sanford Elementary records that 42% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 24% White, 19% Hispanic, 11% multiracial, 4% Asian. Compared to Newport News city overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.
On the resource side, T. Ryland Sanford Elementary records 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 18.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting T. Ryland Sanford Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 99% of students at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.
After controlling for student poverty, T. Ryland Sanford Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 61.1%, the actual is 58.8%, a residual of -2.4 points.
Around the school, Newport News city reports that median household income runs about $69,634, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Newport News city runs 48 public schools (combined enrollment of about 25,882 students), of which T. Ryland Sanford Elementary is one.
Nearest neighbor: Denbigh High, around 1.0 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts T. Ryland Sanford Elementary at 5th of 9; the average score across the group is 57.9%.
Geographically, the school is in a city-core area.
Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary has contracted 14%, going from 576 students in 2018 to 498 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment increased from 11% to 19% over that span.
Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.
Newport News city at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
184,216
Census ACS
Median income
$69,634
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
48
25,882 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Newport News City Public Schools
- Woodside HighHigh · 1,723 students
- Menchville HighHigh · 1,707 students
- Warwick HighHigh · 1,622 students
- Denbigh HighHigh · 1,269 students
- Heritage HighHigh · 1,106 students
- Ethel M. Gildersleeve MiddleMiddle · 1,087 students
Other schools in Newport News
- Woodside HighHigh · 1,723 students
- Menchville HighHigh · 1,707 students
- Warwick HighHigh · 1,622 students
- Denbigh HighHigh · 1,269 students
- Heritage HighHigh · 1,106 students
- Ethel M. Gildersleeve MiddleMiddle · 1,087 students
Nearby schools
- Denbigh High1.0 mi · 1,269
- Willis A. Jenkins Elementary1.3 mi · 507
- B.C. Charles Elementary1.3 mi · 388
- Menchville High1.3 mi · 1,707
- Stoney Run Elementary1.4 mi · 453
- Knollwood Meadows Elementary1.5 mi · 460
Frequently asked questions
About T. Ryland Sanford ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary?
T. Ryland Sanford Elementary enrolls approximately 498 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does T. Ryland Sanford Elementary serve?
T. Ryland Sanford Elementary serves grades PK-05.
How many students per teacher at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary?
Approximately 18.4:1 students per teacher at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary.
What is the student diversity at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary?
Student demographics at T. Ryland Sanford Elementary are roughly 24% White, 19% Hispanic, 42% Black, 4% Asian, 11% Two or more.
What district is T. Ryland Sanford Elementary in?
T. Ryland Sanford Elementary is part of Newport News City Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.