Lebanon Middle

Lebanon Middle is a Grades 5–7 school in Lebanon, Virginia, serving 301 students as part of Russell County Public Schools, where 92.4% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. In the latest state ranking, Lebanon Middle placed 253rd out of 416 Virginia middle schools (39th percentile, 2 stars), a significant drop from the previous year when it ranked 130th (69th percentile, 3 stars). Historically, the school has performed in the 60th–84th percentile range, reaching as high as 68th in 2017-18.

One of the school's most impressive assets is its extraordinarily low chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.3% in 2024-25, compared to 14.8% statewide and 13.9% across the district. This is particularly notable given the high poverty rate, and it stands far below nearby schools like Glade Spring Middle (20.2%), E.B. Stanley Middle (17.1%), and Wallace Middle (10.7%). Lebanon Middle also remains competitive in 7th grade, where reading proficiency (76.58%) exceeds the state average (73.01%), and math proficiency (61.26%) is well above the state (51.11%) and beats both Glade Spring Middle and E.B. Stanley Middle.

However, the school faces challenges. Fifth and sixth grade scores lag behind state averages, with 6th grade reading falling sharply from 83.5% to 64.71% in one year and 6th grade math dropping from 71.84% to 58.82%. Subgroup performance declined across nearly every measured group. Additionally, Lebanon Middle serves the highest-poverty population among nearby schools yet spends the least per student ($7,900 compared to $10,136–$14,524 at Washington County Public Schools). While the 2025-26 ranking drop appears concentrated in lower grades and specific subgroups rather than a school-wide collapse, parents should watch how the school addresses these gaps. Given its strong attendance and historical performance, Lebanon Middle has a solid foundation to build on.