Dryden Elementary

Q: Is Dryden Elementary a good school?

Dryden Elementary ranks 581 st of 1114 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Dryden Elementary is a public elementary school in Dryden, Virginia, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 273 students. The school is part of the Lee County Public Schools district, which is ranked 45 out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dryden Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (97.8%) compared to the state average and nearby schools, which is an important factor to consider when analyzing the school's performance and demographics. The school has shown mixed performance on state assessments, with some subject areas and grade levels performing well but lagging behind in others, particularly in mathematics. Additionally, Dryden Elementary has a very high percentage of students (86.81%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. The school's spending per student ($7,904 in 2020-2021) is lower than the state average, which may impact the resources and support available to students, but it has a relatively low student-teacher ratio (14.3 in 2022-2023), which could be a positive factor in providing more individualized attention.

While Dryden Elementary's overall performance is mixed, the school appears to be doing well in supporting its low socioeconomic status (SES) students, ranking 95 out of 1,036 Virginia elementary schools in this category for the 2023-2024 school year. However, when compared to other nearby elementary schools, such as Union Primary in the Wise County Public Schools district, Dryden Elementary generally performs on par or slightly below in terms of student achievement on state assessments. This comparison highlights the potential for Dryden Elementary to learn from and emulate the practices of higher-performing schools in the region.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

176 School House Ridge Road
Dryden, VA 24243

(276) 546-4443

District: Lee County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
581^st of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,904

Students who attend Dryden Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Elydale Middle
	Jonesville Middle
	Pennington Middle
High:	Lee High
	Thomas Walker High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.5

Number of students: 255

Racial breakdown:

White:

97.3%

Hispanic:

1.2%

Two or more races:

1.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Dryden Elementary ranks worse than 52.2% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Lee County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.65. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (97.3%), Hispanic (1.2%), two or more races (1.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 83.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dryden Elementary is 11.5, which is the 2^nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Lee County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Dryden Elementary employs 22 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dryden Elementary is $7,904. 3 elementary schools in the Lee County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dryden Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Dryden Elementary 581^st of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Dryden Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Lee County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee County Public Schools 45^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dryden Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Dryden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	69.60	279^th	1062	73.7%
2006	54.95	519^th	1071	51.5%
2007	63.98	388^th	1083	64.2%
2008	23.43	970^th	1081	10.3%
2009	46.81	666^th	1082	38.4%
2010	34.43	908^th	1113	18.4%
2011	9.34	1090^th	1117	2.4%
2012	24.13	984^th	1117	11.9%
2013	20.41	999^th	1120	10.8%
2014	22.02	987^th	1110	11.1%
2015	42.52	740^th	1100	32.7%
2016	47.55	663^rd	1096	39.5%
2017	61.27	435^th	1099	60.4%
2018	68.24	339^th	1097	69.1%
2019	57.15	528^th	1105	52.2%
2021	39.05	723^rd	1103	34.5%
2022	63.62	424^th	1109	61.8%
2023	55.74	541^st	1114	51.4%
2024	52.65	581^st	1114	47.8%

See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dryden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	81.97	95^th	1036	90.8%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dryden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	55.01	530^th	1100	51.8%
2024	57.86	501^st	1098	54.4%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dryden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	51.94	565^th	1093	48.3%
2024	48.20	620^th	1101	43.7%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Dryden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.13	743^rd	984	24.5%
2024	32.20	753^rd	979	23.1%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Dryden Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	625	625
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	531	531
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	476	476
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	488	488
1993	436	7	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
1994	442	6	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
1995	468	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	471
1996	468	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	471
1997	464	3	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
1998	444	4	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	450
1999	393	6	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	402
2000	374	5	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	-4	377
2001	347	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	350
2002	309	5	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	317
2003	309	5	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	317
2004	310	3	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	2	316
2005	275	2	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	281
2006	337	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	339
2007	340	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	342
2008	378	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	3	385
2009	343	2	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	4	352
2010	339	1	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	2	344
2011	356	4	0	5	0	0	0	0	365
2012	349	3	0	6	0	0	1	0	359
2013	342	2	0	6	0	0	1	0	351
2014	350	2	0	6	0	0	2	0	360
2015	354	2	0	7	0	1	1	0	365
2016	322	2	0	8	0	0	1	0	333
2017	324	3	0	7	0	0	4	0	338
2018	312	2	0	3	0	0	2	0	319
2019	283	1	0	3	0	0	4	0	291
2020	267	2	0	2	0	0	5	0	276
2021	250	3	0	3	0	0	6	0	262
2022	240	3	0	3	0	0	5	0	251
2023	267	0	0	3	0	0	3	0	273
2024	248	1	0	3	0	0	3	0	255

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dryden Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	625	34.5	18.1	n/a
1990	531	33.8	15.7	n/a
1991	476	32.9	14.4	n/a
1992	488	33.5	14.5	n/a
1993	444	30.3	14.7	n/a
1994	449	31.5	n/a	60.8
1995	471	n/a	0.0	66.2
1996	471	n/a	0.0	66.2
1997	470	n/a	0.0	68.9
1998	450	n/a	0.0	62.2
1999	402	34.5	11.7	69.7
2000	377	n/a	0.0	72.7
2001	350	31.4	11.1	79.4
2002	317	35.0	9.1	77
2003	317	35.0	9.1	77
2004	316	32.0	9.9	82.5
2005	281	30.0	9.4	85.4
2006	339	31.0	10.9	82
2007	342	29.9	11.4	74.5
2008	385	20.8	18.5	65.4
2009	352	19.7	17.9	69.5
2010	344	19.6	17.5	65.2
2011	365	21.4	17.0	66.6
2012	359	23.0	15.6	67.1
2013	351	23.0	15.2	67.8
2014	360	21.5	16.7	68.9
2015	365	22.0	16.5	63.3
2016	333	21.0	15.8	71.2
2017	338	22.0	15.3	63.6
2018	319	25.0	12.7	80.9
2019	291	21.0	13.8	79.7
2020	276	24.0	11.5	79
2021	262	21.6	12.0	n/a
2022	251	22.0	11.4	86.9
2023	273	19.0	14.3	86.8
2024	255	22.0	11.5	83.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Dryden Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	625	34.5	18.1	n/a
1990	531	33.8	15.7	n/a
1991	476	32.9	14.4	n/a
1992	488	33.5	14.5	n/a
1993	444	30.3	14.7	n/a
1994	449	31.5	n/a	60.8
1995	471	n/a	0.0	66.2
1996	471	n/a	0.0	66.2
1997	470	n/a	0.0	68.9
1998	450	n/a	0.0	62.2
1999	402	34.5	11.7	69.7
2000	377	n/a	0.0	72.7
2001	350	31.4	11.1	79.4
2002	317	35.0	9.1	77
2003	317	35.0	9.1	77
2004	316	32.0	9.9	82.5
2005	281	30.0	9.4	85.4
2006	339	31.0	10.9	82
2007	342	29.9	11.4	74.5
2008	385	20.8	18.5	65.4
2009	352	19.7	17.9	69.5
2010	344	19.6	17.5	65.2
2011	365	21.4	17.0	66.6
2012	359	23.0	15.6	67.1
2013	351	23.0	15.2	67.8
2014	360	21.5	16.7	68.9
2015	365	22.0	16.5	63.3
2016	333	21.0	15.8	71.2
2017	338	22.0	15.3	63.6
2018	319	25.0	12.7	80.9
2019	291	21.0	13.8	79.7
2020	276	24.0	11.5	79
2021	262	21.6	12.0	n/a
2022	251	22.0	11.4	86.9
2023	273	19.0	14.3	86.8
2024	255	22.0	11.5	83.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dryden Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,126 (15.5%)	$6,154 (84.5%)	$7,281
2020	$1,431 (17.8%)	$6,616 (82.2%)	$8,047
2021	$1,663 (21.0%)	$6,242 (79.0%)	$7,904

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dryden Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 528^th of 1105 Elementary schools	Ranks 541^st of 1114 Elementary schools	0.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dryden Elementary)	80	75.6	4.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lee County Public Schools)	83	76.4	6.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	82	69.1	12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Dryden Elementary)	78	80.5	2.5%
3rd Grade English Reading (Lee County Public Schools)	72	78.5	6.4%
3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)	71	66.1	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dryden Elementary)	80	60	20%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lee County Public Schools)	83	66.8	16.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	83	69.7	13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Dryden Elementary)	84	66.7	17.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Lee County Public Schools)	80	69	11%
4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	75	72.7	2.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	291	273	6.2%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	3	3
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	283	267	5.7%
Two or More Races	4	3	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	79.7%	86.8%	7.1%

Schools Near Dryden Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Mathematics (2024)		SOL English Reading (2024)		SOL VA Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dryden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	176 School House Ridge Road	Dryden	24243	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 546-4443	255	22	11.5	83.9%	248 (97.3%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	52.6	581^st of 1114 public elementary schools	47.8%		55.7	541^st of 1114 public elementary schools	51.4%	40	71.7	56.1	64.2	78.1	85.4	$7,904	$1,663	$6,242
Elk Knob Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	148 Hornet Loop	Pennington Gap	24277	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 546-1837	308	23	13.5	84.7%	297 (96.4%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	58.1	509^th of 1114 public elementary schools	54.3%		39.2	733^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	34.2%	224	72.0	88.2	62.0	76.5	73.5	$6,363	$2,657	$3,706
St. Charles Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2434 St. Charles Road	Saint Charles	24282	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 383-4531	111	12	9.6	77.5%	108 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	84.6	127^th of 1114 public elementary schools	88.6%		68.9	354^th of 1114 public elementary schools	68.2%	227	83.3	90.0	88.9	80.0	100.0	$9,454	$2,096	$7,359
Duffield-Pattonsville Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	663 Duffield-Pattonsville High	Duffield	24244	Scott County	Scott County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 431-2244	294	21	14.2	71.8%	275 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	48.1	639^th of 1114 public elementary schools	42.6%		39.8	723^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	35.1%	84	69.6	76.3	60.7	71.1	68.4	$8,198	$1,152	$7,046
Union Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	2945 Second Avenue East	Big Stone Gap	24219	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 523-4900	830	62	13.3	89.0%	741 (89.3%)	23 (2.8%)	19 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (5.5%)	88.7	60^th of 1114 public elementary schools	94.6%		87.5	77^th of 1114 public elementary schools	93.1%	17	90.2	88.0	86.0	90.1	95.8	$6,477	$1,137	$5,340
Flatwoods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	205 Flatwoods School Road	Jonesville	24263	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 346-2799	333	24	13.8	82.9%	326 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	61.4	473^rd of 1114 public elementary schools	57.5%		65.8	402^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	63.9%	71	84.3	76.5	66.7	75.0	71.2	$8,285	$2,253	$6,033

Dryden Elementary

Dryden Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lee County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Dryden Elementary

Rank History for all students at Dryden Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dryden Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Dryden Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Dryden Elementary

Rank History for White students at Dryden Elementary

Enrollment information for Dryden Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dryden Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Dryden Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dryden Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Dryden Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Dryden Elementary

Dryden Elementary

Elk Knob Elementary

St. Charles Elementary

Duffield-Pattonsville Primary

Union Primary

Flatwoods Elementary

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