Summary:
Middle Schools located in Grayson County Public Schools include just one school—Independence Middle—serving grades 6 through 8 with 280 students in a rural Virginia district where nearly all students face economic challenges.
Independence Middle consistently earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the top third of Virginia middle schools. Its biggest strength is mathematics: 7th grade math proficiency (80.23%) and 8th grade math proficiency (76.29%) far exceed state averages, and 8th graders taking Algebra I achieved a perfect 100% proficiency for the past two years. Upper-grade reading is also solid, with 7th and 8th grade reading running roughly 5–6 points above state levels. However, 6th grade reading trails the state by about 3 points, and 6th grade math plummeted from 86.08% in 2024–2025 to 68.60% in 2025–2026—a dramatic drop worth watching. Science in 8th grade improved to 74.36%, beating the state average by nearly 10 points. Over 92% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet the school still outperforms state averages in most subjects, which shows effective teaching and support despite high poverty.
The school has some challenges. Chronic absenteeism is a real concern: 20.1% of students were chronically absent, compared to 13.3% for the district and 14.8% statewide—about one in five students missing significant school time. Because Independence Middle is the only middle school in Grayson County Public Schools, its scores essentially define district performance, so boosting 6th grade results and reducing absenteeism would directly lift the district’s overall standing. For parents, this is a high-poverty school delivering strong math and upper-grade reading results, but one where attendance and early middle school transitions deserve extra attention.
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