Loudoun Elementary School Named #1 In VA: Niche Ranking

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Ashburn's Waxpool Elementary School is the best elementary school in Virginia, according to a Niche ranking.

The ranking, which was released this week, judges schools across the commonwealth on academics, teachers, culture and diversity, and surveys from students and parents. The list also accounts for the school district's Niche grade.

Waxpool Elementary School in Ashburn ranked first among the 1,124 elementary schools included in the list.

The school opened in 2019 with principal Michael Pellegrino, who is still with the school.

"Incredible admin and school culture. Truly thinking about students beyond just the classroom which has been profound for our two children," one parent reviewer wrote on Niche's website. "Beautiful facility too! Happy to be a Piranha!"

Another Loudoun County elementary school, Goshen Post Elementary School, ranked third in the statewide ranking. In total, 12 other Loudoun County elementary schools ranked in the top 100.

See also: Below Average Reading Growth For LCPS Students: Progress Report

The Niche rankings differ from others that rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance in that it also includes input from students, alumni and parents, as well as quantitative data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities.