Summary:
Lebanon Middle is the only middle school in Russell County Public Schools, serving grades 5 through 7 with about 301 students in a rural Virginia district. This small school stands out most for its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.3%, compared to 13.9% for the district and 14.8% for the state—especially impressive given that over 92% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school also maintains a favorable 12.3-to-1 student-teacher ratio, which may help support more individualized attention.
Academically, Lebanon Middle shows a clear pattern: 5th grade is the weakest point, while reading and math improve noticeably by 7th grade. In 2025–2026, 5th grade reading proficiency was 61% versus the state’s 72.42%, and 5th grade math was 57% versus the state’s 72.39%. However, by 7th grade reading jumped to 76.58% (above the state’s 73.01%), and 7th grade math reached 61.26% (well above the state’s 51.11%). The school also posted a strong 6th grade reading result in 2024–2025 at 83.5%, beating both district and state averages. This upward trajectory suggests that students who struggle in the early middle grades often catch up by the time they reach 7th grade.
Despite these bright spots, Lebanon Middle’s overall school ranking dropped sharply from the 69th percentile (2024–2025) to the 39th percentile (2025–2026), driven by weaker scores in 5th grade subjects and a dip in 7th grade civics and math for one cohort. The school’s 2025–2026 overall SOL average was 63%, about five points below the state average. Parents should know that while the school excels at keeping students engaged and builds strong literacy gains by 7th grade, earlier intervention in 5th grade math, reading, and science could help reverse the recent ranking decline. With exceptionally strong attendance and small class sizes, Lebanon Middle has a solid foundation to build on.
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