Summary:
New Castle, Virginia, is served by two schools in the Craig County Public Schools district—Craig County High (grades 6–12) and McCleary Elementary (grades PK–5)—which together educate roughly 507 students in a high-poverty community where about 81% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. There is no separate middle school, so Craig County High covers both middle and high school grades. Both schools have favorable student-teacher ratios around 10–11 to 1 and per-student spending of approximately $11,200–$11,500.
Comparing the two schools, Craig County High stands out for its graduation rate of 94.7%, above the state average of 92.3%, and a dropout rate of 3.5% that is lower than the state's 5.0%. It also beats the state in Algebra I, Biology, Writing, and 8th-grade reading. The weaknesses are in middle-school math and social studies: only 23.8% of 8th graders are proficient in math versus 46.9% statewide, and World History I trails by nearly 19 points. McCleary Elementary, meanwhile, excels in 3rd and 4th grade math (82.1% and 80.0% proficient), but 5th grade performance drops well below the state in math, reading, and science.
One striking trend is the math decline from early elementary to middle school, from above 80% proficiency in 3rd and 4th grades to just 23.8% by 8th grade. Chronic absenteeism also differs sharply, with the elementary school at 13.3% (below the state average) but the high school at 21.1%. The high school's state rank fell from 3 stars (63rd percentile) in 2024–2025 to 2 stars (39th percentile) in 2025–2026, while the elementary school remained stable. Overall, the district may hold a 1-star rating, but the data shows genuine strengths in graduation outcomes and several subjects, suggesting targeted help in middle-school math and social studies would make the biggest difference.
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