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Best Public Schools in Damascus, VA

New rankings! Virginia test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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At a glance

Schools

442

Students

5-star school

Top rankedHolston High10^th of 331 Virginia high schools

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Biggest riser

Damascus Middle up 104 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

Damascus, Virginia is home to two public schools—Holston High (grades 9–12) and Damascus Middle (grades 6–8)—serving a combined 442 students as part of Washington County Public Schools, a district ranked 12th out of 131 districts in Virginia. Both schools serve a community with significant economic need, as roughly 75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Despite these challenges, both schools have earned strong state rankings and have shown impressive upward momentum, with Holston High jumping from #28 to #10 among Virginia high schools and Damascus Middle climbing from #202 to #98 among middle schools.

Holston High is the clear standout, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 97th percentile statewide. The school boasts a 96.4% graduation rate and exceptional SOL proficiency in Algebra I (97.6%), Geometry (100%), and 11th-grade English Reading (94.8%). Its student–teacher ratio of 11.9 and per-student spending of $13,470 provide solid support. The one concern is chronic absenteeism: 20.7% of students are chronically absent, well above the district rate of 13.8% and state rate of 14.8%. Additionally, 11th-grade Biology proficiency (63.6%) lags behind the district, likely reflecting a retake cohort that needs extra science support.

Damascus Middle has made remarkable progress, improving over 100 places in state ranking to reach the 76th percentile with a 4-star rating. Its 8th-grade Algebra I students achieve a perfect 100% proficiency rate, feeding directly into the advanced math success seen at Holston High. The school also posts a better-than-average chronic absenteeism rate of 12.2%. However, 8th-grade math (59.5%) and science (72.4%) fall below district averages, signaling foundational gaps that families should watch. With low student–teacher ratios (10.1) and higher per-student spending ($14,871), Damascus Middle has the resources to address these areas. Together, these schools offer a strong, improving educational pathway—with elite high school outcomes and a middle school trending in the right direction.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Geometry (2026)	SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Mathematics (2026)			SOL Biology (2026)		SOL Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)				SOL Geography (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL Geography 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Holston High	Public	9-12	21308 Monroe Rd	Damascus	24236	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 739-4000	254	21	11.9	74.8%	244 (96.1%)	2 (0.8%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	83.8	10^th of 331 public high schools	97.0%		79.1	28^th of 328 public high schools	91.5%	18	100.0		97.6				85.7	63.6					94.8			$13,470	$93	$13,377
Damascus Middle	Public	6-8	32101 Government Rd	Damascus	24236	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 739-4100	188	19	10.1	75.5%	182 (96.8%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.1%)	71.9	98^th of 416 public middle schools	76.4%		55	202^nd of 419 public middle schools	51.8%	104		100.0		82.1	67.3	59.5			72.4	80.4	82.4	74.1		81.0	80.0	$14,871	$1,626	$13,245

Cities Near Damascus

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Meadowview	3.31 mi	2	121^st
Abingdon	8.88 mi	10	42^nd
Glade Spring	9.7 mi	2	71^st
Chilhowie	13.63 mi	3	37^th
Marion	15.82 mi	8	235^th

See the top VA Virginia cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.