Page County Public Schools

Page County Public Schools is a small Virginia district serving about 2,928 students across eight schools—four elementary schools (Luray Elementary, Shenandoah Elementary, Stanley Elementary, Springfield Elementary), two middle schools (Page County Middle and Luray Middle), and two high schools (Page County High and Luray High).

Overall, this is a high-poverty district—about 86% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch—but several schools are beating the odds. Springfield Elementary is the elementary standout, ranking highest among the four elementaries despite a 75% poverty rate, with the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism (9.6%) and strong math and science scores. Luray Middle is even more remarkable: nearly 98% of its students are economically disadvantaged, yet it posts 100% proficiency in 8th grade Algebra I and outperforms the state in several reading and math categories. At the high school level, Page County High and Luray High both exceed state averages in Algebra I, Geometry, and Biology, and both graduate over 94% of students—better than the state average. Luray High has the highest graduation rate at 96.2%.

The main concerns are chronic absenteeism, reading, and a few specific trouble spots. District-wide, 17.7% of students are chronically absent, above the state’s 14.8%, and high schools top 20%. Reading scores are weaker than math at nearly every level, especially in history. Stanley Elementary is the most urgent concern—only 49% of its 3rd graders read proficiently, and its ranking has dropped to the 23rd percentile. Luray Elementary shows a puzzling math slump: 3rd grade math is strong, but 4th grade math falls 25 points below the state. Overall, if the district can reduce absenteeism and replicate the practices of Springfield Elementary and Luray Middle, there is real potential for improvement.