Summary:
Westmoreland County Public Schools is a small, rural Virginia district serving approximately 1,574 students across four schools: two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The district overall ranks 89 out of 131 Virginia districts and receives 2 stars, but there is a striking split between its stronger and weaker schools.
Families will find a district of two halves. Montross Middle and Washington District Elementary are both 3-star schools ranking in the 59th–60th percentile statewide. Montross Middle excels in math, with 8th grade proficiency at 89.7% compared to just 46.9% statewide, and Washington District Elementary posts strong 3rd grade math results at 94.8% proficiency. In contrast, Cople Elementary (14th percentile, 1 star) and Westmoreland High (21st percentile, 1 star) are significant concerns. Cople Elementary fell below state averages in every single subject, including 4th grade math at 38.7% versus 73.3% statewide, while Westmoreland High struggles in social studies, with only 16% proficiency in VA & US History and 34.8% in Geography.
Several bright spots and challenges stand out. The high school boasts a 95.3% graduation rate and a 0.7% dropout rate, both better than Virginia averages. However, every school exceeds the state's 14.8% chronic absenteeism rate, with Westmoreland High the highest at 20.3%. Spending per student ranges from $12,256 to $13,747, yet Cople Elementary spends more per student with smaller class sizes than Washington District Elementary and still performs far worse, suggesting resources alone aren't the answer. Social studies is a systemic weakness across all grade levels, and small cohorts make year-to-year scores volatile, so families should look at multi-year trends when evaluating these schools.
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