Summary:
Chantilly, Virginia is served by 7 public schools—2 high schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 elementary schools—enrolling roughly 9,903 students across Fairfax County Public Schools and Loudoun County Public Schools. The city's schools span a wide performance spectrum, from top-ranked state standouts to schools facing significant challenges, so outcomes vary greatly depending on the school.
Poplar Tree Elementary is the city's clear star, ranking in the 96th percentile with 91.8% average SOL proficiency, the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (10.3%), and the lowest chronic absenteeism (8.0%). At the other extreme, Brookfield Elementary ranks in the 18th percentile with only 58.5% proficiency and an 81.9% poverty rate—despite spending more per student ($14,547 versus $11,587). Among middle schools, Rocky Run Middle leads with a 95th-percentile rank and 88.4% average proficiency, while Chantilly High is the stronger high school, graduating 96.0% of students with a 2.7% dropout rate, compared to Westfield High's 93.1% graduation rate and 5.4% dropout rate.
Citywide patterns reveal that poverty and absenteeism closely track academic outcomes. The two lowest-performing schools—Brookfield Elementary and Westfield High—have the highest free/reduced lunch rates (81.9% and 35.7%), while top performers enjoy low absenteeism and strong advanced-course access. Spending alone does not predict success: J. Michael Lunsford Middle spends the most ($17,184 per student) and performs well, yet Poplar Tree achieves its results with the lowest elementary spending. Trends also show Chantilly High and Lunsford Middle improving, while Westfield High has declined sharply from the 49th to the 33rd percentile. For parents, school-level demographics and culture matter more than district-wide averages.
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