For the 2025 school year, there are 2 public elementary schools serving 753 students in Essex County School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in Virginia.
Public Elementary Schools in Essex County School District have an average math proficiency score of 19% (versus the Virginia public elementary school average of 53%), and reading proficiency score of 52% (versus the 67% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 75% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Virginia public elementary school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (VA)
# Schools
3 Schools
1,493 Schools
# Students
1,163 Students
828,856 Students
# Teachers
88 Teachers
59,516 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Essex County School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 135 school districts in Virginia (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-2021 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 85-89% has increased from 80-84% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#127 out of 135 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(20-21)22%
54%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
(20-21)55%
69%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
(20-21)25-29%
59%
Graduation Rate
85-89%
89%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.62
0.72
% American Indian
1%
n/a
% Asian
2%
8%
% Hispanic
5%
19%
% Black
55%
22%
% White
27%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
10%
7%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $15,866 is higher than the state median of $15,502. The school district revenue/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,284 is higher than the state median of $15,257. The school district spending/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$19 MM
$19,496 MM
Spending
$19 MM
$19,187 MM
Revenue / Student
$15,866
$15,502
Spending / Student
$16,284
$15,257
Best Essex County School District Public Elementary Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Tappahannock Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
205 Elementary School Circle
Tappahannock, VA 22560
(804) 443-5301
Tappahannock, VA 22560
(804) 443-5301
Grades: PK-4
| 422 students
Rank: #22.
James H. Cary Intermediate
(Math: 16% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
912 Intermediate School Circle
Tappahannock, VA 22560
(804) 443-3040
Tappahannock, VA 22560
(804) 443-3040
Grades: 5-8
| 331 students
Recent Articles

Colorado Schools: How Aurora Schools Coped After Theatre Tragedy
There are many support services being put into place for Aurora students this year to help them cope with the movie theatre tragedy as they head back to school.

Chicago Schools: Special Needs and Enriched Academic Programs
We’ll examine some of the programs offered by Chicago Public Schools to provide services to special needs students and help high-achieving students reach their full academic potential.

Benefits of Public School Summer Programs
Learn about the three major advantages of enrolling your child in a summer learning program hosted by your public school.