Bensley Elementary School has been named a National Title I Distinguished School based on its sustained academic excellence. This is the second time in 14 years that Bensley Elementary has achieved this prestigious recognition, marking only the sixth time that a Virginia school has earned this national honor more than once. 
Bensley Elementary was selected for the honor again based on exceptional student performance for two consecutive years. The school’s 2015-16 pass rates on state-mandated standardized tests are 90 percent in English, 92 percent in math, 99 percent in social studies, and 91 percent in science. Bensley obtained full state accreditation for two consecutive years (2014-15 and 2015-16) as required, and demonstrated exceptional instructional programming, opportunities for student success, and partnerships with families and communities in their application.
“Bensley’s students, staff members and leadership are phenomenal,” Superintendent James F. Lane said. “To win this award a second time, making the school one of a small group across the country to be a multiple winner, speaks to the commitment to excellence at the school.
This is an extremely prestigious honor because only two schools throughout Virginia earn this award every year. Bensley Elementary promotes and supports an inclusive learning environment where all students are provided an opportunity to learn and achieve. I especially want to congratulate our faculty and staff at the school for their tireless work on behalf of our students. The culture of high expectations set by Ms. Cooper makes Bensley special and a high-achieving outlier amongst schools in our nation.”
Bensley Elementary has nearly 750 students enrolled and also houses two Head Start classrooms and one Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) classroom. More than 88 percent of Bensley’s students are eligible to participate in the federal free or reduced lunch program.
