1. Home
  2. Virginia
  3. Independence
  4. Grayson County Public Schools
  5. Independence Middle
Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Independence Middle

Public Grades 6-8
118th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 416 Virginia Middle Schools
Better than 72% of Virginia middle schools
Summary

Independence Middle is a public middle school in Independence, VA, serving 280 students in grades 6–8 as part of Grayson County Public Schools. Despite a student body where about 93% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the school earns a 4-star rating and ranks at the 72nd percentile statewide (118th of 416 middle schools). Per-student spending is $7,917 with a favorable 12.1 student-teacher ratio.

Compared with nearby Galax Middle, Independence is a clear academic standout. It ranks far higher (118th vs. 212th), and proficiency rates in math and science exceed Galax in nearly every grade level. Most notably, Independence has achieved 100% proficiency in Algebra I for four consecutive years. Reading scores are also stronger overall, especially in 6th grade (69.8% vs. 57.0%). One exception is 7th grade Civics and Economics, where Independence (70.1%) trails Galax (77.5%). However, Independence’s chronic absenteeism is much higher than Galax’s (20.1% vs. 6.9%) and exceeds the state average of 14.8%, making its academic success even more impressive.

Independence’s biggest strength is mathematics, with 7th and 8th grade proficiency rates roughly 30 percentage points above the state average. It is also notably effective with economically disadvantaged students, who rank in the 88th percentile statewide. The main areas to watch are persistent chronic absenteeism, a three-year decline in 6th grade reading (from 75.0% to 69.8%), and the Civics and Economics result. Overall, Independence Middle shows that high poverty and elevated absenteeism do not have to limit academic achievement—strong instruction and targeted support have helped this school perform well above expectations.

280
Students ?
12.1
Student/teacher ratio ?
$7,917
Per pupil spending ?
92.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 100 Blue Devil Drive
       Independence, VA  24348-0155

(276) 773-3020

District: Grayson County Public Schools


Students who attend Independence Middle usually attend:

High:    Grayson County High

Feeder schools for Independence Middle:

Elementary:    Fairview Elementary
    Independence Elementary
Racial breakdown:

White:
85.4%
Hispanic:
10.7%
Two or more races:
2.9%
more
 See top rated Virginia middle schools

 Compare Independence Middle to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 89th percentile in 2023 → 72nd in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Virginia average (75% vs 68% meeting standards)
✓Above the Virginia median (72nd percentile)
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped from its 89th-percentile peak (2023) to 72nd (2026)
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school75%
District avg75%
Virginia avg68%
118th of 416
Virginia public middle schools ?
Top 28%▲ up 19 pts since 2016
From top 48% (2016) to top 28% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Virginia Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
37th of 131Grayson 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202668.1118 of 41671.6%★★★★☆
202568.9121 of 41971.1%★★★★☆
202474.884 of 41779.9%★★★★☆
202380.548 of 42288.6%★★★★☆
202259.5152 of 41563.4%★★★☆☆
202161.3126 of 41969.9%★★★★☆
201957.0174 of 42459.0%★★★☆☆
201861.2128 of 41369.0%★★★☆☆
201755.0174 of 41558.1%★★★☆☆
201651.6195 of 40952.3%★★★☆☆
201543.8236 of 41242.7%★★☆☆☆
201445.0225 of 41645.9%★★☆☆☆
201341.8244 of 41641.3%★★☆☆☆
201261.6108 of 41373.8%★★★★☆
201145.8238 of 41342.4%★★☆☆☆
201024.9359 of 40812.0%★☆☆☆☆
200931.1308 of 39021.0%★☆☆☆☆
200825.7350 of 39110.5%★☆☆☆☆
200726.7356 of 3878.0%☆☆☆☆☆
200627.5329 of 38314.1%★☆☆☆☆
200557.1171 of 34049.7%★★☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202464.882 of 28170.8%★★★★☆
202390.015 of 27894.6%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202670.1107 of 40973.8%★★★★☆
202572.0100 of 40375.2%★★★★☆
202477.262 of 40784.8%★★★★☆
202381.142 of 41189.8%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202396.02 of 27599.3%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202679.647 of 40188.3%★★★★☆
202576.961 of 40384.9%★★★★☆
202483.636 of 40291.0%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202664.4131 of 41068.0%★★★☆☆
202562.6146 of 40463.9%★★★☆☆
202471.4101 of 40775.2%★★★★☆
202378.070 of 40982.9%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankVirginia percentileRating
202655.3169 of 40057.8%★★★☆☆
202546.2243 of 40039.3%★★☆☆☆
202461.0150 of 39662.1%★★★☆☆
202370.794 of 40276.6%★★★★☆
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)
Hispanic (2023)99th percentile+11 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile+17 vs school
Female (2026)74th percentile~ school
Disabled (2024)71st percentile-9 vs school
Male (2026)68th percentile-4 vs school
White (2026)58th percentile-14 vs school
By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?
Algebra I100%+7 vs state
English Reading76%+3 vs state
Mathematics75%+20 vs state
Science74%+10 vs state
Civics and Economics70%~ state avg

★
No ratings yet
Be the first to rate Independence Middle and help other families decide.
Rate Independence Middle
Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.
Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.
Tap a star to rate
Reviews
No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.


Schools Near Independence Middle

Sort
Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private





Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Middle

Independence Middle ranks 118th of 416 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Independence Middle are 85% White, 11% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

In the 2024-25 school year, 280 students attended Independence Middle.

Students who attend Independence Middle usually go on to attend Grayson County High

Rate Independence Middle!



Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...


Compare to nearby schools

VAVirginia Middle School Rankings

VAVirginia District Rankings

Schools in Independence, VA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Independence Middle!


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.

Diagnostics