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Fort Defiance High

Q: Is Fort Defiance High a good school?

Fort Defiance High ranks 192 nd of 328 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 328 Virginia High Schools

Better than 41% of Virginia high schools

Summary

Fort Defiance High is a public high school serving 737 students in grades 9-12 in Fort Defiance, Virginia, which is part of the Augusta County Public Schools district. While the school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking and rating in recent years, it continues to perform better than some nearby schools in the region.

Fort Defiance High's performance has been mixed, with the school outperforming the state average on Geometry and English Reading SOL tests, but lagging behind the district and state averages in Algebra I, Biology, and Earth Science. The school's four-year graduation rate has decreased from 97.0% in 2023-2024 to 92.8% in 2023-2024, and its dropout rate has increased from 1.2% to 4.5% over the same period. Additionally, Fort Defiance High has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 15.7% to 19.3% in recent years.

When compared to other high schools in the area, Fort Defiance High generally performs better than Harrisonburg High and Waynesboro High, which are in lower-performing school districts. However, it lags behind schools like Riverheads High, Buffalo Gap High, and Spotswood High, which are also part of the Augusta County Public Schools district.

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 — 52nd percentile in 2015 → 41st in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2015

!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 (2024-2025) ?

This school77%

District avg81%

Virginia avg81%

192^nd of 328

Virginia public high schools ?

Bottom 41%▼ down 10 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to bottom 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

73^rd of 129Augusta 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
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
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
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
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
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
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 (2025)51st percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)50th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)35th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2025)31st percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)17th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2024-2025) ?

Geometry93%+8 vs state

English Reading91%+3 vs state

Algebra I81%~ state avg

Geography73%+5 vs state

Biology69%-9 vs state

Earth Science68%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Fort Defiance High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SOL Writing (2025)		SOL Geometry (2025)		SOL Algebra I (2025)				SOL Biology (2025)				SOL Earth Science (2025)			SOL English Reading (2025)		SOL Geography (2025)			SOL VA and US History (2025)	SOL World History I (2025)	SOL World History II (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Writing 10th Grade	SOL Writing 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 9th Grade	SOL Algebra I 10th Grade	SOL Algebra I 11th Grade	SOL Algebra I 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 English Reading 11th Grade	SOL English Reading 12th Grade	SOL Geography 9th Grade	SOL Geography 10th Grade	SOL Geography 12th Grade	SOL VA and US History 11th Grade	SOL World History I 9th Grade	SOL World History II 10th 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%)	51.6	192^nd of 328 public high schools	41.5%		66	108^th of 329 public high schools	67.2%	84			93.2		82.0	76.2			66.7	68.6	70.0		68.2	64.3		90.8		73.5	61.5					$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%)	68	104^th of 328 public high schools	68.3%		60.7	142^nd of 329 public high schools	56.8%	38		81.6	100.0		93.2	93.8			95.1	77.6	60.0					86.3						74.1	47.5	$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%)	64.1	118^th of 328 public high schools	64.0%		63.2	128^th of 329 public high schools	61.1%	10			100.0		92.9	88.5			86.4	76.5			75.4	78.6		90.6	76.2	72.8	56.3					$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%)	61.9	131^st of 328 public high schools	60.1%		65.9	110^th of 329 public high schools	66.6%	21			98.3		94.4	73.3			60.0	76.9	43.8				37.0	86.4	76.9							$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%)								(n/a)
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%)	30.6	282^nd of 328 public high schools	14.0%		24	304^th of 329 public high schools	7.6%	22	57.1	57.2	93.9	33.3	73.5	71.9	84.6	72.7		51.3		88.2	56.1	41.7		77.8				94.7	41.0	62.6		$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%)	68.2	102^nd of 328 public high schools	68.9%		71	77^th of 329 public high schools	76.6%	25			100.0		98.7					78.0			80.4			89.4	69.2	76.0						$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%)	37.8	255^th of 328 public high schools	22.3%		22.4	308^th of 329 public high schools	6.4%	53			96.1		83.3	72.1	73.9	64.3	81.0	72.4	50.0	70.4			48.6	75.1	32.4							$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%)	63.2	124^th of 328 public high schools	62.2%		60	143^rd of 329 public high schools	56.5%	19			92.1		93.8	64.7				75.0	61.5		79.9			87.3	63.6	79.2						$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%)	72.2	76^th of 328 public high schools	76.8%		66.1	106^th of 329 public high schools	67.8%	30			95.4		92.9	87.0	91.7		94.4	85.2	76.0			50.0		87.3								$8,785	$149	$8,636

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Defiance High

What district is Fort Defiance High in?

Augusta County Public Schools

Is Fort Defiance High a good school?

Fort Defiance High ranks 192^nd of 328 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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

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VAVirginia High School Rankings

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Schools in Fort Defiance, VA

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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.