Garrisonville Elementary School in Stafford

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	6/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning data from Virginia Department of Education, and using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course data from Virginia Department of Education.
Student Growth	7/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Virginia Department of Education.

Posted: May 29, 2025

I had no idea that my son's teacher has to decide for my son to attend summer school meanwhile they're saying my son is behind and yet she didn't signed him for summer school. According to her she saying " I thought science and social studies are not important to him" at least the parents should be involved in the decision making of their child. I have had several meetings with them and complains some even labeled my son being disabled because he's behind.

Posted: November 20, 2024

Weve had 3 kids go through Garrisonville and theyve all done wonderfully from the foundation instilled by this staff ! The parental involvement was welcomed and we felt empowered by the principals support- we could not have been happier with our kids education from this school staff and environment!

Posted: February 24, 2022

I love this school. love the staff they are so kind. the class rooms are the proper size and gym and cafeteria was a good size. the school connects to andrew G wright middle school.

Posted: February 24, 2022

Posted: February 22, 2022

On the post directly below, effectively deals with bullying should have been 5 stars. The 1 star rating is a mistake.

Posted: February 22, 2022

I love everything about this school! The principal is amazing who definitely prioritizes the student's safety and education. She is always one step ahead. The staff is amazing and my daughter loves every teacher she has had in that school and is always sad to move one because she will miss them. My daughter has received a top quality education here and I would not want to be at any other school!

Garrisonville also goes above and beyond when it comes to school spirit and unity. I have never experienced a school that is so spirited and I love that.

Overall, they go above and beyond in every aspect.

Posted: February 22, 2022

Posted: August 14, 2021

My two boys went to this Elementary School, and the teachers were amazing. One of my sons has special needs, and the teachers in that department were wonderful. They were so nurturing, and my son thrived in this environment. My youngest son who is an overachiever thrived at this school and was challenged.

Posted: August 14, 2021

Posted: May 18, 2020

We had two children go to Garrisonville. We loved it. Highly recommend for kids. Its a small school and teachers and staff are friendly. 9.5/10

Posted: May 18, 2020

Posted: May 17, 2020

Principal is the leader of bullying. Most staff is too scared.

Posted: May 17, 2020

Principal is a bully. She is disrespectful to her staff consistently. I have never seen such a bully in my life. I would not trust her with my kids education.

Posted: May 17, 2020

Horrible. I wouldnt walk in that building unless they got a new principal

Posted: May 17, 2020

Posted: December 7, 2019

One of the best schools in Stafford County.

Posted: December 7, 2019

A majority of the teachers at Garrisonville have 10+ years of experience.

Posted: December 7, 2019

Principal goes above and beyond to make sure students receive a good education.

Posted: September 18, 2019

This school goes above and beyond for each and every student. The scores do NOT reflect the school at all.

Posted: August 26, 2019

I transferred my student this year. His Kindergarten experience at Garrisonville was terrible. His teacher was disorganized, non-communicative and made errors regularly. Gator week was a bigger deal than the fact that his teacher appeared not able to do her job effectively. Everyone there knew she was problematic, but nobody did anything about it. I was very disappointed. I moved to Stafford because this particular school was in the top ten in the NATION six years ago. Not it is700 something. Also the percentage of black students suspended versus non black students is suspiciously disproportionate. Don't send your child here.

Posted: August 26, 2019

We love Garrisonville! Teachers and staff are amazing and make learning fun!

Posted: August 26, 2019

Posted: May 31, 2019

Students with special needs are not provided with the resources they need. Understaffing has resulted in underqualified personnel providing less than adequate support.

Posted: May 31, 2019

School takes a lopsided approach to discipline. Not all students receive the same corrective action for the same offenses. This is to include instances of bullying. Some students get suspension and some get a talking to regardless of the number of previous offenses for the same thing.

Posted: May 31, 2019

SUB-PAR. The school loses teachers and support staff in droves every year. Test scores consistently below standards, blatant favoritism, indifferent front office. They mask these deficiencies with distractions like dances, spirit week, and school events. This way, they don't have to worry about actually teaching the kids anything.

Posted: May 31, 2019

Testing consistently show below average performance year over year. Openly show favoritism, erroding student trust. Fail to promote equality.

Posted: May 31, 2019

Seems this school focuses more resources on being "fun" than being effective.

Posted: May 31, 2019

Principle openly hostile and petty to teachers she does not like. Does not support teachers that attempt to discipline or correct students. Does not emply an effective discipline policy, resulting in repeated offenses due to lack of consequences.

Posted: April 12, 2019

This is a great school with a family feel.

Posted: April 12, 2019

Posted: March 25, 2019

I love this school. My daughter has so far been blessed with 2 amazing teachers in kindergarten and 1st grade.

Posted: January 9, 2019

The special education teachers are great with their students.

Posted: January 9, 2019

Ms. White genuinely cares about all of the students.

Posted: January 9, 2019

Garrisonville is a wonderful school. My daughter absolutely loves going to school every day. The environment is very loving and the students feel like they belong. No school in the country has more school spirit!

Posted: January 9, 2019

There is no data that shows that homework is effective. Kids need to be able to be a kid at home. The overall view on homework at this school is that it should not be given. I like that about GES.

Posted: January 9, 2019

All of the staff love the students and genuinely want them to do well. The teachers work very hard to prepare lessons that engage the students.

Posted: January 6, 2019

I don't know what method or algorithm Great Schools uses to "rate" schools but Garrisonville should NOT be a 3/10! I am shocked to see this. I have lived in Stafford for 14 years and actually moved so that my youngest could attend Garrisonville because it is a wonderful school. She's now in 5th grade and we always say that it was the best decision ever! When she transferred (2nd grade), she was below grade level in both math and reading skills. Now she is thriving! The caring teachers and staff knew exactly what she needed and we saw an immediate shift in her learning. Plus we love the enrichment opportunities. She has been able to be in the gardening club, take extra music and art classes as well as STEM! This was not offered at our previous (local) elementary school. It just goes to show that a school is much more than just a number on this website!

Posted: January 6, 2019

Posted: December 4, 2018

I came on here before we moved to the neighborhood and saw some negative reviews and I was a little hesitant. But we loved our house and the neighborhood more than any others we saw so we just went with it. Now that we have been at Garrisonville for a little while, I just had to come leave a review because no matter what a few naysayers might post, it's an awesome school! My kids LOVE this school way more than any theyve been in. We're military. The teachers are so nice and caring. There is a lot of communication and my kids actually like getting up in the morning to go to school. I seriously think the bad reviews on here are like a disgruntled employee or something because every single parent I have talked to loves this school.

Posted: December 4, 2018

Posted: October 23, 2018

Excellent experience. We love being Gators! The staff works to know each child as an individual.

Posted: July 26, 2018

GES is unlike any school Ive ever seen! The commitment to the kids its unparalleled. Gator Week is hands down one of my kids most looked forward to events of the entire year! The school really goes above and beyond to reach into the community to bring everyone together for the kids.

Posted: July 26, 2018

Posted: June 30, 2018

Bullying is a huge issue...among the students to each other, students to the teachers, and administration to their staff. You can't fix something that the principal, herself, does.

Posted: June 30, 2018

Very poor. It used to be amazing (9) and the most sought after elementary school in Stafford County! It was a blue ribbon school with accreditations. Now, we have nothing and we are a 4.

The morale is gone. I don't blame teachers for looking for jobs elsewhere.

Posted: June 30, 2018

If they were allowed to teach and not micromanaged, they would be more effective

Posted: June 30, 2018

They aren't supportive. The school doesn't support their students or their teachers.

Posted: April 5, 2018

I could not ask for a better learning environment than GES. My child is always excited to go to school and is developing both academically and emotionally appropriately for her age. Every adult at GES cares deeply about the children at GES.

Posted: April 5, 2018

My student has been assigned a minimal amount homework for the three years during which she has attended GES. Considering the volume of research showing that homework for elementary age students is totally useless, I am thankful and pleased.

Posted: April 5, 2018

My child's 3 teachers have all been strong classroom leaders who have helped foster emotional and intellectual development.

Posted: April 5, 2018

Posted: April 3, 2018

Every child who attends GES is cared for, challenged mentally and encouraged to become the best version of themselves

Posted: April 3, 2018

I have had nothing but fantastic interactions in dealing with numerous school educators and faculty. They are fantastic people who all have the best interests in mind in all decisions they make and implement. I cannot recommend GES enough. Our son LOVES his teachers and the rest of the faculty and he is constantly learning. forget 5/5 GES is a 10/10!

Posted: April 3, 2018

The teachers are extremely caring and intelligent individuals. They take the time to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each student they interact with.

Posted: April 3, 2018

this school has gone above and beyond for my children. The administration is super kind and really seems to want to do all they can to help each child.

Posted: April 3, 2018

Look, the best way to deal with a bully is to go to the teacher. Any time my daughter has had problems with a kid harassing her, she has gone to the teacher and it has stopped immediately. My daughter is an ethnic minority and this isn't a problem at GES.

Posted: April 3, 2018

They are implementing the county-wide C-5W thing in a way to teach character and get my kid excited about it. She LOVES when they have C-5W days.

Posted: April 3, 2018

The PTA and the administration all communicate weekly, if you want to hear the updates. You know what is going on at school.

Posted: April 3, 2018

My kid is ahead of grade level in reading and behind in math. She does math pull-out a few times per week to help her in that area, while the teacher still gives her higher level work to challenge her in reading. This is great differentiated instruction.

Posted: April 3, 2018

My child is becoming a critical thinker. The rating may change. (When my child started, GES was a "9" and now it is a "4" just 3 years later.) This rating reflects the stupid SOL scores in part and we don't care about SOLs. We care that the teachers really push each kid individually to grow during the time they are in the classroom. I love that more than s good SOL score.

Posted: April 3, 2018

Some teachers believe in the "20 minutes of reading per night" as the only homework. Other teachers believe in sending daily worksheets home. My child has been lucky so far to only get the first kind of teacher, but if we ever do end up with a daily worksheet kind of teacher, we will not comply. Kids need time to be kids!

Posted: April 3, 2018

AWESOME! We cannot wait for our 2nd child to become a Gator next year.

Posted: December 21, 2017

I do not recommend this school to any family. Once the 2017-2018 year is over, we will be moving to a different school. Seems negative reviews are not posted on here!

Posted: December 21, 2017

Posted: November 4, 2017

This school has been nothing but wonderful to both my kids. My oldest is autistic and he has a great team of teachers/support network that are dedicated to his success. They always go the extra mile for him to ensure he makes progress. This school is filled to the brim with school spirit and the energy is contagious which makes my kids excited to go to school. I am involved with the PTO and volunteer as much as I can, so I do see some of the behind the scenes. The staff are very happy to work here. I even overheard a teacher say "I pinch myself everyday I get to come to work here." We are very proud to be apart of the Garrisonville Gators.

Posted: September 17, 2017

Five out of six children have attended! (number 6 is only 3 but she will attend too!) The school is amazing and lots of fun! We love being Gators!

Posted: January 7, 2017

We've been with Garrisonville Elementary School for the past 6 years and plan to stay for another 5. Garrisonville has a family friendly environment and a top notch PTO. The office staff give 100% to our kids. The teachers are professional and really help our kids be their best! They also offer an after school enrichment program that our children love. I can't imagine being anywhere else. Gator for life!

Posted: January 7, 2017

Our experience over the last 6 years and 2 children at GES has been excellent. We have always felt the staff truly enjoy educating and mentoring the students. We've participated in school activities since day one and have always felt part the family. That is a key aspect of this small school! You are encouraged to be active in your children's educational experience. We originally started with GES and considered other private schools at the time. However, we've never felt he need to look elsewhere as GES has fulfilled all our lofty expectations from the beginning. Thanks to the staff and volunteers at GES!

Posted: January 7, 2017

Posted: May 22, 2016

Sadly we have military orders and we have to move our children out of the school. Garrisonville Elementary has been such a positive experience for all of us. The staff is amazing. The front office is very friendly and helpful. The teachers are top notch. The PTA is also great and the school spirit and functions are enjoyable. I like how they focus on each children's needs and they break up their work/group sessions depending on their level. My girls love going to school and are sad to leave. I just hope the next school can match up to this. This has been the best public school they have attended so far.

Posted: June 2, 2014

My children are thriving at Garrisonville ES. The teachers and staff truly work as a team to give the students the best possible education and experience a child can get at school. The classroom teachers treat each child as an individual. Though I'd like for the class sizes to be smaller, classes are broken into small groups who work with para-educators and the teacher to address the needs of every level. Parents are encouraged to volunteer in the classroom, and they can be seen in all areas of the school. Parents are welcome here, which makes GES feel like a community! My military family has attended four other elementary schools in three other states, but none compare to Garrisonville's attention to the children's needs, their kind and informative manner with parents, and the community building that GES has. All of these factors combined show in this school's academic achievement.

Posted: May 28, 2014

This truly is a school that cares about children and providing them with a positive, nurturing environment in which to learn. I know there was a negative comment on the SST meetings being overemphasized, but I don't believe that is possible. SST meetings allow parents the opportunity to sit down with the teacher and administration to come up with strategies to help their child who might be struggling anywhere from a lot to a little. Having just returned from an SST meeting for my son only moments ago, I am grateful for the faculty and staff at Garrisonville who are dedicated to helping my child learn the best way possible for him. They quickly took the supportive documentation I provided from both visual and occupational therapists, as well from my child's doctors and counselors and immediately got back with me to come up with a 504 plan for my son. They worked side by side with me as we came up with an effective strategy for my son to learn to the best of his abilities. I am left grateful and in awe of how much the staff here puts in to helping each and every student. Thank you GES for caring so much about our kids!

Posted: May 27, 2014

GES is awesome! We are a military family and have a few schools to compare it with and think GES is top notch! The parent involvement is like non we have seen before. The school has great resources and the administration goes out of their way to find creative ways to pay for extra programming and technology. Every class has a smart board or equivelant, there are iPad and Chrome Book classroom sets, and the school offers a variety of extracurricular activities ranging form Spanish and American Sign Language to a Gator Book Club. The teachers are fantastic. There has been a recent change in leadership-two principals in three years but the most recent principal is committed. She is strong, intelligent, and organized. The school attempts to balance a whole student approach within a test and results oriented system. I think some parent complaints regarding teachers is the result of recent turnover and a young cadre of new teachers. Seasoned teachers as well as coaching and leading from the administration will help bring all of the teachers onto the same playing field.

Posted: May 22, 2014

We purchased a home in this school district because this school was rated highly. However, after having our child there for two years and having two very complacent teachers we are fed up. This year, a month into the school year, the teacher was already talking about holding back our child. If you go into this teacher's classroom she has mounds of paper, she's very unorganized, and has an out of control class room. We have pictures and have seen it first hand. They are all about scores not teaching a clear and concise curriculum. This school does have many really good teachers but please do your research and ask other parents before you get stuck with the bad ones because the bad ones are REALLY bad. I am college educated and have a family full of teachers, retired teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers and judges. They have all said what we have been through just isn't right but unfortunately these teachers are tenured and just don't care. You can complain all you want but the teachers will never get marks against them. Good luck to those enrolling your children.. you'll need it ;)

Posted: August 26, 2013

The principal of the schoool is horrible. She needs a lot of coaching and training before even being considered an ok principal. I moved my child out of this school because of her lack of professionalism, they should have left her in Spotsylvania county.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Vista Woods	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	0.3 mi
2	St. George's Estates	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	0.6 mi
3	Apple Grove	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	0.8 mi
4	Eastern View	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	1.3 mi
5	Park Ridge The Towns	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	1.9 mi
6	Hunter's Pond	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	2 mi
7	Augustine	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	2.1 mi
8	Park Ridge - The Manors	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	2.3 mi
9	Autumn Ridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	2.5 mi
10	Hampton Oaks	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	3.2 mi
11	Austin Ridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	3.6 mi
12	Woodstream	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	4.2 mi
13	Aquia Harbour	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Aquia Harbour	VA	5 mi
14	Amber Hill	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	5.1 mi
15	Embrey Mills	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	5.3 mi
16	Manors of Greenridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	5.6 mi
17	Aquia Harbour	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Stafford	VA	6.1 mi
18	Stafford Lakes Village	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fredericksburg	VA	8.3 mi
19	Potomac Highlands	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Triangle	VA	9.3 mi
20	Leeland Station	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fredericksburg	VA	9.6 mi
21	Stonewall Manor	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Triangle	VA	10.5 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Stafford	Stafford	VA	5.3 mi
2	Public Quarry at Government Island	Stafford	VA	5.3 mi
3	Leeland Station Area	Fredericksburg	VA	8.9 mi
4	Aquia Landing Park	Stafford	VA	10.7 mi

Base	Distance
Quantico Marine Base	4.6 mi.
Indian Head Naval Base	18.3 mi.
Fort Belvoir	24.3 mi.
Dahlgren NSWC	26 mi.
NRO Chantilly	28.3 mi.
Fort AP Hill	29 mi.
Defense Health Headquarters Falls Church	30.8 mi.
Mark Center Alexandria	31.5 mi.
Henderson Hall	35 mi.
Fort Myer	35.5 mi.
Bolling AFB Joint Base Anacostia	35.5 mi.
Pentagon	35.7 mi.
Coast Guard Headquarters DC	36.9 mi.
Fort McNair	37 mi.
Washington Navy Yard	38 mi.
Marine Barracks Washington	38.3 mi.
Andrews AFB	39.4 mi.
Walter Reed Medical Center	42 mi.

Garrisonville Elementary School

Stafford, VA 22556

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Garrisonville Elementary School

Stafford, VA 22556

School Ratings

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