Summary:
Glade Spring, Virginia is home to exactly one middle school, Glade Spring Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 228 students as part of Washington County Public Schools, a district ranked in the 91st percentile statewide.
Glade Spring Middle is a high-poverty school, with nearly 76% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, and it faces notable challenges: chronic absenteeism sits at 20.2%, well above the district (13.8%) and state (14.8%), and the school’s state ranking has fallen steadily from the 82nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 55th percentile in 2025-2026. Test scores also dropped sharply in most subjects year over year, including an 11-point decline in 8th-grade science and a 9.85-point drop in 8th-grade math. Despite these trends, the school has clear bright spots: it achieves 100% proficiency in Algebra I for two consecutive years, and it outperforms the state in 8th-grade math, science, geography, and civics. Its 9.7-to-1 student-teacher ratio is also a positive sign for class sizes. However, compared to its own district, Glade Spring Middle trails the Washington County average in nearly every subject, with the exception of 8th-grade math, where it significantly outperforms the district.
For parents, the picture is mixed. The school offers strong advanced math and solid 8th-grade content, but it struggles with attendance and with proficiency in 6th- and 7th-grade math and reading, where it generally sits near or below state averages. English reading proficiency slipped in both 7th and 8th grades, and 6th-grade math remains below the district by a wide margin. Given the supportive foundation of a top-tier district, a low student-teacher ratio, and high per-student spending of $14,524, the school has resources to improve. Reversing the downward trend will likely require targeted attention to chronic absenteeism and early middle-school math and literacy, while building on the clear success seen in Algebra I and 8th-grade science.
Thank you for your feedback!