Alleghany Highlands Public Schools

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools serves 2,804 students across six schools in Covington, Clifton Forge, and surrounding areas of Virginia, and though the district ranks at the 49th percentile statewide, its elementary schools far outpace its secondary schools. The district includes four elementary schools (Jeter-Watson, Mountain View, Callaghan, and Sharon), one middle school (Covington Middle), and one high school (Alleghany High), all serving predominantly high-poverty populations with more than 81% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

The elementary schools show a remarkable divide. Sharon Elementary is the district’s standout, ranked in the 96th percentile statewide with 5 stars, and posts extraordinary math proficiency scores of 96-97% across grades 3-5 despite having the highest poverty rate (84.26%). Callaghan Elementary also excels, ranking in the 78th percentile with 4 stars, and has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at just 6.6% while spending the least per student ($8,950). By contrast, Jeter-Watson Elementary and Mountain View Elementary rank in the 34th and 28th percentiles respectively, with chronic absenteeism above 23%—and Mountain View actually spends the most per student ($11,342) with the smallest class sizes yet still underperforms, showing that resources alone don’t drive results.

The secondary schools are the district’s weak spot. Covington Middle has improved its ranking from the 13th to 22nd percentile over three years, but still sits at 1 star; its 8th-grade Algebra I proficiency is outstanding at 97.78%, yet on-grade 8th-grade math is just 14.86% proficient. Alleghany High ranks in the 13th percentile with a 36.5% chronic absenteeism rate—more than double the state average—and shows critical weaknesses in Algebra I and social studies, though geometry and Earth Science are bright spots. Overall, the district’s elementary schools average around the 59th percentile while secondary schools average only the 17th, suggesting the path forward lies in replicating the successful elementary models and tackling attendance at the secondary level.