Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School, 3500 S. 23rd St.: pre-K to grade 5, 333 K-5 students on Sept. 30, 2026, framework score 78.9. Office: 703-228-5825.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Sources: Drew Elementary, Arlington Public Schools, the Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profile and the federal NCES school directory.

Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School is an Arlington Public Schools (APS) neighborhood elementary school. It sits at 3500 S. 23rd St. and serves pre-K through fifth grade.

Who to call

  • Main office: 703-228-5825 (fax 703-979-0892)
  • New to APS (registration): APS Welcome Center, 703-228-8000, option 1; 2110 Washington Blvd., first floor
  • Buses and general questions: APS main line, 703-228-8000
  • Which school serves an address: School and Community Relations, 703-228-6005
Address 3500 S. 23rd St., Arlington, VA 22206
Grades Pre-K to 5
School day 9 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. (early release 1:30 p.m.)
Website drew.apsva.us
Division Arlington Public Schools

Principal

Principal Tracy Gaither, according to the school’s website.

Enrollment and teachers

  • APS count: 333 students in kindergarten through fifth grade on Sept. 30, 2026, plus 66 in preschool programs, in APS’s official membership summary (PDF).
  • State count: 436 students in fall 2025, including 69 in pre-K, after 417 in 2024 and 435 in 2023, in the School Quality Profile.
  • Federal count: 435 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 48 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That works out to about nine students per teacher.

State report card

Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework scores each school on mastery on state tests, growth, readiness and graduation, according to APS’s framework page. Schools scoring 90 or more are Distinguished, 80 to 89 Meets Expectations, 65 to 79 Approaching Expectations and below 65 Needs Intensive Support. A school with a student group identified for federal support drops one category.

  • 2026-27 framework score: 78.9, rated Needs Intensive Support, in the division summary (PDF). Students with disabilities and Black students were identified for Targeted Support and Improvement.
  • Accreditation: Fully Accredited

Standards of Learning pass rates (grades 3 to 5, share of tested students who passed), from the School Quality Profile:

Subject 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
English reading 57% 53% 53%
Math 51% 59% 60%
Science 48% 55% 45%

Attendance zone

APS assigns neighborhood schools by home address. Check an address in the APS boundary locator or on the 2026-27 elementary boundary map (PDF).

Middle and high school: on APS’s boundary maps, about three-quarters of the Drew zone lies in the Gunston Middle zone and the rest in the Jefferson Middle zone. All of it is in the Wakefield High School zone.

Calendar and bell times

From the APS 2026-27 calendar:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 28: early release, all schools
  • Monday, Nov. 2: end of first quarter
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: no school for students (Election Day)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
  • Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
  • Dec. 23 to Jan. 1: winter break
  • Thursday, March 18, 2027: early release; Friday, March 19: no school (parent-teacher conferences)
  • March 22-26, 2027: spring break
  • Thursday, June 17, 2027: last day of school, early release

The school day runs 9 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., with early release at 1:30 p.m., according to APS. Each elementary school holds a family information session between November and January; see the schedule.

More on Arlington schools

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Drew Elementary serve?

Pre-K through fifth grade. APS counted 333 students in kindergarten through fifth grade on Sept. 30, 2026, plus 66 in preschool programs.

How is Drew Elementary rated by the state?

It is fully accredited. In Virginia’s 2026-27 School Performance and Support Framework it scored 78.9 and is rated Needs Intensive Support, a category lowered by one because students with disabilities and Black students were identified for targeted federal support.

Which middle and high school does Drew Elementary feed into?

About three-quarters of the Drew zone feeds Gunston Middle and the rest Jefferson Middle. All of it lies in the Wakefield High School zone, on APS’s boundary maps.

What time does Drew Elementary start?

9 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., with early release at 1:30 p.m., according to Arlington Public Schools.