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Fort Defiance High

Q: Is Fort Defiance High a good school?

Fort Defiance High ranks 222 nd of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Fort Defiance High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 731 students attended Fort Defiance High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Fort Defiance High?

Students at Fort Defiance High are 80% White, 13% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races.

Q: What schools feed into Fort Defiance High?

Fort Defiance High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Edward G. Clymore Elementary Middle : S. Gordon Stewart Middle

Public Grades 9-12

222^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 331 Virginia High Schools

Better than 33% of Virginia high schools

Summary

Fort Defiance High is a public high school in Fort Defiance, Virginia, serving 731 students in grades 9–12 as part of Augusta County Public Schools. The school has experienced a striking decline in recent years: after ranking in the 75th percentile of Virginia high schools with a 4-star rating as recently as 2020–2021, Fort Defiance now ranks 222nd out of 331 Virginia high schools (33rd percentile) with a 2-star rating. It is now the lowest-ranked high school in its district, while nearby Riverheads High (83rd percentile), Wilson Memorial High (68th), Stuarts Draft High (67th), and Buffalo Gap High (59th) all rank substantially higher.

Academically, the biggest concerns are math and science. Only 73.3% of 9th graders are proficient in Algebra I, well below the district average of 87.2% and trailing every other Augusta County high school — Riverheads leads at 98.9%, followed by Buffalo Gap at 94.6%. Biology and Earth Science proficiency also lag district peers, though 9th-grade Biology (93.3%) and Geometry remain above state averages. English reading proficiency (86.6%) is close to the state average of 88.1%. Subgroup rankings have dropped sharply across nearly every group, with economically disadvantaged students falling from the 65th to the 11th percentile statewide in just two years. On the positive side, the graduation rate remains solid at 92.5%, and the dropout rate of 2.6% is well below the state's 5.0%.

The school's economic profile has shifted markedly, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility jumping from roughly 41% to 62.2% in two years. However, Stuarts Draft High has nearly identical economic need (62.1%) yet ranks more than 100 places higher, suggesting school-level practices and supports also play a key role. Chronic absenteeism (15.3%) is modestly above the state average, and per-student spending at $9,483 is mid-range among nearby schools. Fort Defiance still has real strengths to build on — solid graduation and dropout rates, near-average reading, and strong early science results. The key question facing the school is whether targeted interventions in Algebra I, upper-level science, and support for its most vulnerable students can reverse what has been a rapid and broad decline.

731

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,483

Per pupil spending ?

62.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

195 Fort Defiance Rd
Fort Defiance, VA 24437

(540) 245-5050

District: Augusta County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Fort Defiance High:

Elementary:	Edward G. Clymore Elementary
Middle:	S. Gordon Stewart Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.4%

Hispanic:

12.7%

African American:

3.4%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare Fort Defiance High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 60th percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 27 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Augusta County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school76%

District avg81%

Virginia avg78%

222^nd of 331

Virginia public high schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 27 pts since 2016

From top 40% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5High Schools in the Augusta County Public Schools

75^th of 131Augusta County Public Schools among Virginia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	45.4	222 of 331	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.6	192 of 328	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.0	108 of 329	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.7	95 of 326	70.9%	★★★★☆
2022	63.2	86 of 325	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	60.4	82 of 327	74.9%	★★★★☆
2019	63.5	72 of 327	78.0%	★★★★☆
2018	63.0	77 of 326	76.4%	★★★★☆
2017	58.2	106 of 324	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.6	128 of 321	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.1	156 of 322	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	57.1	100 of 322	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.0	66 of 321	79.4%	★★★★☆
2012	59.5	95 of 321	70.4%	★★★★☆
2011	67.4	61 of 320	80.9%	★★★★☆
2010	59.6	97 of 317	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	52.0	133 of 313	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.2	102 of 316	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.3	55 of 313	82.4%	★★★★☆
2006	65.3	56 of 314	82.2%	★★★★☆
2005	58.3	91 of 308	70.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2023	70.4	53 of 249	78.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	49.9	190 of 322	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.5	160 of 321	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.7	96 of 322	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	67.4	92 of 320	71.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	56.4	112 of 242	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.3	116 of 236	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	68 of 233	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	78.4	28 of 232	87.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	27.8	285 of 321	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	44.2	210 of 324	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.1	111 of 320	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	38.8	237 of 325	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	41.3	223 of 322	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.1	126 of 322	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	96 of 321	70.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	22.8	288 of 312	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	34.3	260 of 313	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.2	199 of 314	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.9	175 of 315	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2023)79th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)54th percentile+21 vs school

Female (2026)41st percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)27th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile-22 vs school

White (2026)8th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry93%+15 vs state

English Reading87%~ state avg

Geography75%+5 vs state

Algebra I72%-7 vs state

Earth Science69%+6 vs state

Biology69%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Fort Defiance High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Writing (2026)				SOL Geometry (2026)				SOL Algebra I (2026)				SOL Algebra II (2026)			SOL Chemistry (2026)			SOL Biology (2026)				SOL Earth Science (2026)				SOL English Reading (2026)				SOL Geography (2026)				SOL VA and US History (2026)			SOL World History I (2026)				SOL World History II (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Writing 9th Grade	SOL Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Writing 12th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Geometry 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 12th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 12th Grade	SOL Algebra II 9th Grade	SOL Algebra II 10th Grade	SOL Algebra II 11th Grade	SOL Chemistry 10th Grade	SOL Chemistry 11th Grade	SOL Chemistry 12th Grade	SOL Biology 9th Grade	SOL Biology 10th Grade	SOL Biology 11th Grade	SOL Biology 12th Grade	SOL Earth Science 9th Grade	SOL Earth Science 10th Grade	SOL Earth Science 11th Grade	SOL Earth Science 12th Grade	SOL English Reading 9th Grade	SOL English Reading 10th Grade	SOL English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL Geography 10th Grade	SOL Geography 11th Grade	SOL Geography 12th Grade	SOL VA and US History 10th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL VA and US History 12th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History I 10th Grade	SOL World History I 11th Grade	SOL World History I 12th Grade	SOL World History II 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th Grade	SOL World History II 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Fort Defiance High	Public	9-12	195 Fort Defiance Rd	Fort Defiance	24437	Augusta County	Augusta County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 245-5050	731	52	14.0	62.2%	588 (80.4%)	25 (3.4%)	93 (12.7%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.6%)	45.4	222^nd of 331 public high schools	32.9%		51.6	192^nd of 328 public high schools	41.5%	30			< 50%		93.3	316.0		< 50%	73.3	61.5	≥ 50%	≥ 50%							93.3	66.5	402.0	≥ 50%	70.6	53.9	< 50%			< 50%	86.6	≥ 50%	75.3	404.0	< 50%	≥ 50%		< 50%		< 50%			≥ 50%		< 50%	< 50%	$9,483	$117	$9,365
Staunton High	Public	9-12	1301 N Coalter St	Staunton	24401	Staunton city	Staunton City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 332-3926	766	58	13.2	85.0%	462 (60.3%)	111 (14.5%)	76 (9.9%)	11 (1.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	102 (13.3%)	62	132^nd of 331 public high schools	60.1%		68	104^th of 328 public high schools	68.3%	28	< 50%		87.7	≥ 50%	100.0	387.0	< 50%	< 50%	83.8	413.0	≥ 50%	431.0	100.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%				95.5	71.2	417.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	390.0	407.0		≥ 50%	90.8	≥ 50%						< 50%		70.4	428.0			≥ 50%	23.8		$10,689	$765	$9,924
Wilson Memorial High	Public	9-12	189 Hornet Rd	Fishersville	22939	Augusta County	Augusta County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 886-4286	837	59	14.1	55.1%	657 (78.5%)	55 (6.6%)	60 (7.2%)	13 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	49 (5.9%)	67.4	105^th of 331 public high schools	68.3%		64.1	118^th of 328 public high schools	64.0%	13			≥ 50%	388.0	95.9	411.0	≥ 50%		85.7	75.9	≥ 50%	≥ 50%					≥ 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	69.4	399.0	430.0	84.3	80.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		412.0	92.2	71.4	87.2	59.1	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%					≥ 50%		$8,374	$261	$8,113
Turner Ashby High	Public	9-12	800 N Main St	Bridgewater	22812	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 828-2008	998	65	15.3	38.4%	706 (70.7%)	36 (3.6%)	197 (19.7%)	9 (0.9%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (4.5%)	72	75^th of 331 public high schools	77.3%		61.9	131^st of 328 public high schools	60.1%	56					98.3	≥ 50%			100.0	92.3	100.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%				< 50%		452.0	80.8	47.6	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	387.0	361.0		≥ 50%	86.1	72.2	397.0	< 50%	≥ 50%				< 50%		< 50%						$8,372	$109	$8,263
Rocktown High	Public	9-12	2970 East Kaylor Park Drive	Harrisonburg	22801	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(540) 432-3263	1,011	67	15.0	84.8%	255 (25.2%)	105 (10.4%)	568 (56.2%)	34 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (4.8%)	26	301^st of 331 public high schools	9.1%					(n/a)					92.7	377.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	56.2	56.7	64.0	81.8	≥ 50%	351.0	382.0	388.0	396.0	< 50%	92.3	71.8	52.0	64.4		393.0	35.7	404.0	< 50%	395.0	73.7	47.1
Waynesboro High	Public	9-12	1200 West Main St	Waynesboro	22980	Waynesboro city	Waynesboro City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 946-4616	926	63	14.8	94.7%	429 (46.3%)	184 (19.9%)	205 (22.1%)	27 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	79 (8.5%)	46.6	217^th of 331 public high schools	34.4%		30.6	282^nd of 328 public high schools	14.0%	65	370.0	57.2	39.3	395.0	94.6	366.0			82.7	70.6	94.7	90.9		≥ 50%					70.0	75.7	88.9	86.4	59.1	76.2	64.3	407.0		95.0	80.5	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	431.0	420.0	403.0	52.8	90.0	68.0	72.7	378.0		≥ 50%	48.2		$9,452	$472	$8,979
Buffalo Gap High	Public	9-12	1800 Buffalo Gap Hwy	Swoope	24479	Augusta County	Augusta County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 337-6021	410	32	12.7	58.8%	384 (93.7%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	61.4	136^th of 331 public high schools	58.9%		68.2	102^nd of 328 public high schools	68.9%	34			≥ 50%	447.0	95.7		≥ 50%	≥ 50%	94.6	425.0	< 50%								< 50%	79.6	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	81.8	≥ 50%	< 50%				81.2	90.0	75.0	≥ 50%	< 50%			≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%							$11,833	$290	$11,543
Harrisonburg High	Public	9-12	1001 Garbers Church Road	Harrisonburg	22801	Harrisonburg city	Harrisonburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 433-2652	998	78	12.7	86.8%	326 (32.7%)	91 (9.1%)	520 (52.1%)	22 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (3.7%)	61.1	139^th of 331 public high schools	58.0%		37.8	255^th of 328 public high schools	22.3%	116					97.6	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	80.4	81.8	55.6	408.0		< 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%		< 50%	95.5	90.1	79.6	78.8	389.0	403.0	382.0	< 50%		353.0	85.4	60.3															$9,958	$503	$9,455
Stuarts Draft High	Public	9-12	1028 Augusta Farm Rd	Stuarts Draft	24477	Augusta County	Augusta County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 946-7600	668	47	14.3	62.1%	533 (79.8%)	26 (3.9%)	51 (7.6%)	13 (1.9%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.1%)	66	110^th of 331 public high schools	66.8%		63.2	124^th of 328 public high schools	62.2%	14			≥ 50%		100.0	379.0	< 50%		89.3	53.9	≥ 50%						< 50%		≥ 50%	73.7	385.0	≥ 50%	85.1	413.0	< 50%			≥ 50%	90.1	≥ 50%	77.3	397.0				≥ 50%	< 50%								$9,391	$152	$9,239
Spotswood High	Public	9-12	368 Blazer Drive	Penn Laird	22846	Rockingham County	Rockingham County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 289-3100	880	59	14.8	39.2%	520 (59.1%)	47 (5.3%)	223 (25.3%)	35 (4.0%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.8%)	75.1	54^th of 331 public high schools	83.7%		72.2	76^th of 328 public high schools	76.8%	22					95.2				92.7	100.0	422.0	≥ 50%	≥ 50%						100.0	89.2	56.3	≥ 50%			≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	89.3	71.4	380.0	≥ 50%				< 50%				< 50%					$8,785	$149	$8,636

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Defiance High

What district is Fort Defiance High in?

Augusta County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Fort Defiance High?

Students at Fort Defiance High are 80% White, 13% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Fort Defiance High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 731 students attended Fort Defiance High.

What schools feed into Fort Defiance High?

Fort Defiance High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Edward G. Clymore Elementary
Middle : S. Gordon Stewart Middle

Is Fort Defiance High a good school?

Fort Defiance High ranks 222^nd of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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Latest Virginia data All new data »

2025–26 SOL test scoresAug 25, 2026

2021–22 school spending dataFeb 16, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataFeb 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.