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John Handley High

Q: Is John Handley High a good school?

John Handley High ranks 232 nd of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend John Handley High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,361 students attended John Handley High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of John Handley High?

Students at John Handley High are 45% Hispanic, 35% White, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into John Handley High?

John Handley High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Frederick Douglass Elementary Elementary : Garland R. Quarles Elementary Elementary : John Kerr Elementary Elementary : Virginia Avenue Charlotte Dehart Elementary Middle : Daniel Morgan Intermediate Middle : Daniel Morgan Middle

Public Grades 9-12

232^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 331 Virginia High Schools

Better than 30% of Virginia high schools

Summary

John Handley High is a large comprehensive high school in Winchester, VA, serving 1,361 students in grades 9–12 as part of Winchester City Public Schools. Serving one of the highest-need student bodies in the region — with 84.5% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the highest rate among nearby high schools — Handley has shown real momentum: its graduation rate of 93.3% tops the state average, and its state ranking jumped from 293rd to 232nd (30th percentile) in the past year. Chronic absenteeism has also fallen dramatically, from 38.7% in 2021-22 to 18.7%.

Academically, Handley's strongest subject is math: Geometry proficiency is 100%, and Algebra I scores meet or exceed state averages. Science and history are weaker — Earth Science proficiency is just 19.5% versus 45.2% statewide, and World History II scores have been in the low teens. Compared with nearby schools, Handley sits below most peers — Clarke County High (87th percentile) and Strasburg High (60th) lead the region, while Millbrook High, just 3.4 miles away, ranks slightly lower than Handley despite far lower poverty. Handley also beats Millbrook on graduation rate (93.3% vs. 89.9%) and chronic absenteeism (18.7% vs. 21.1%).

The most puzzling issue is resources: Handley spends $13,157 per student — more than every nearby high school — yet has the region's highest student-teacher ratio at 21.6:1, while peers range from 13:1 to 16:1. Encouragingly, the school posted notable gains for historically underserved groups in 2025-26, including African American students (now at the 54th percentile), multiracial students (56th), and low-income students (44th). With continued progress in attendance and math, Handley appears to be heading in the right direction, though science and history proficiency and staffing remain key areas to watch.

1,361

Students ?

21.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,157

Per pupil spending ?

84.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

425 Handley Blvd
Winchester, VA 22604

(540) 662-3471

District: Winchester City Public Schools

Feeder schools for John Handley High:

Elementary:	Frederick Douglass Elementary
	Garland R. Quarles Elementary
	John Kerr Elementary
	Virginia Avenue Charlotte Dehart Elementary
Middle:	Daniel Morgan Intermediate
	Daniel Morgan Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.5%

White:

35.0%

African American:

8.7%

See top rated Virginia high schools

Compare John Handley High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 11th percentile in 2025 → 30th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 30th (2026) from a 11th-percentile low (2025)

Worth a look

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

!Earth Science scores 44 pts below the Virginia average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school79%

District avg79%

Virginia avg80%

232^nd of 331

Virginia public high schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Virginia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

101^st of 131Winchester City 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	43.1	232 of 331	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.7	293 of 328	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.9	208 of 329	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.8	270 of 326	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.8	249 of 325	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.8	239 of 327	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.2	231 of 327	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.4	271 of 326	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.0	226 of 324	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.4	179 of 321	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	46.2	172 of 322	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	60.5	80 of 322	75.2%	★★★★☆
2013	37.0	225 of 321	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.2	186 of 321	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.5	177 of 320	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	40.1	225 of 317	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.0	243 of 313	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	29.4	269 of 316	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	38.0	229 of 313	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	48.7	162 of 314	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	54.5	117 of 308	62.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	53.6	112 of 242	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.7	183 of 245	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.2	140 of 249	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.4	199 of 240	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	22.3	107 of 120	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	2.3	124 of 125	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	177 of 252	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	191 of 253	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.9	230 of 249	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	41.4	83 of 135	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.0	90 of 101	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.5	84 of 122	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.0	84 of 97	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	207 of 322	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.5	296 of 321	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	42.1	231 of 322	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.7	291 of 320	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	165 of 242	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.4	205 of 236	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.4	143 of 233	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.7	213 of 232	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2025	42.9	5 of 6	16.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	47.5	180 of 321	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.7	261 of 324	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.7	178 of 320	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	37.2	246 of 325	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.8	279 of 322	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.9	188 of 322	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	247 of 321	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	56.6	87 of 196	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	6.7	195 of 198	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	185 of 198	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	0.8	193 of 193	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Virginia percentile	Rating
2026	55.1	165 of 312	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.2	186 of 313	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.1	187 of 314	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.6	203 of 315	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2026)56th percentile+26 vs school

African American (2026)54th percentile+24 vs school

White (2026)47th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)39th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)36th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)32nd percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)30th percentile~ school

Male (2026)24th percentile-6 vs school

Homeless (2025)17th percentile+6 vs school

Asian (2026)11th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Virginia (2025-2026) ?

Geometry100%+23 vs state

English Reading84%~ state avg

Algebra I81%+3 vs state

Biology75%~ state avg

Earth Science20%-44 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, June 1, 2018

Students in this school run wild. There have been many fights throughout the school year. Students are allowed to transfer from one class to another for any reason they want which makes for poor academic settings. Administration does not hold anyone accountable except for the poor teachers that have no control over who is put into their classes. School board policies have created a sinking ship. Send your child somewhere else. Close Quote

Schools Near John Handley 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 8th Grade	SOL Geometry 9th Grade	SOL Geometry 10th Grade	SOL Geometry 11th Grade	SOL Geometry 12th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th 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 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 VA and US History 9th 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	SOL World History II 12th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John Handley High	Public	9-12	425 Handley Blvd	Winchester	22604	Winchester city	Winchester City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 662-3471	1,361	63	21.6	84.5%	477 (35.0%)	118 (8.7%)	619 (45.5%)	56 (4.1%)	12 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	77 (5.7%)	43.1	232^nd of 331 public high schools	29.9%		27.7	293^rd of 328 public high schools	10.7%	61				< 50%		100.0	370.0	< 50%			82.0	74.4	89.5	≥ 50%	≥ 50%		≥ 50%			76.8	60.3	78.1	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	19.5	387.0	< 50%	< 50%	351.0	85.3	66.7															$13,157	$457	$12,699
James Wood High	Public	9-12	161 Apple Pie Ridge Rd	Winchester	22603	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 667-5226	1,462	104	14.0	32.2%	1,100 (75.2%)	41 (2.8%)	218 (14.9%)	34 (2.3%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	62 (4.2%)	55.8	173^rd of 331 public high schools	47.7%		47.8	211^th of 328 public high schools	35.7%	38		379.0	79.2	≥ 50%	< 50%	82.1	390.0	< 50%		≥ 50%	86.1	65.0	53.3	411.0	475.0	< 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	89.8	68.8	385.0	< 50%	< 50%	404.0	47.8	384.0	< 50%	50.0	88.8	69.2				< 50%			< 50%								$10,694	$104	$10,590
Millbrook High	Public	9-12	251 First Woods Dr.	Winchester	22603	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 545-2800	1,550	99	15.6	47.4%	688 (44.4%)	86 (5.5%)	641 (41.4%)	46 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (5.7%)	38.3	256^th of 331 public high schools	22.7%		43.1	237^th of 328 public high schools	27.7%	19	< 50%	33.3	70.0	394.0		94.9	376.0	< 50%			83.6	61.9	66.7	391.0	100.0				≥ 50%	89.3	68.9	29.2	20.0	≥ 50%	66.7	32.8	398.0	≥ 50%	37.5	79.2	57.7					≥ 50%		≥ 50%		≥ 50%						$9,780	$99	$9,681
Sherando High	Public	9-12	185 South Warrior Drive	Stephens City	22655	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 869-0060	1,631	112	14.5	35.1%	1,005 (61.6%)	93 (5.7%)	366 (22.4%)	47 (2.9%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	115 (7.1%)	48.3	208^th of 331 public high schools	37.2%		45.6	224^th of 328 public high schools	31.7%	16	< 50%	340.0	80.2			95.4	392.0	388.0			73.1	60.9	61.1	83.3	100.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	< 50%	< 50%	89.9	58.9	61.1	50.0	< 50%	395.0	39.1	387.0	364.0	53.3	89.9	66.7					≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%		≥ 50%	382.0					$10,526	$205	$10,321
Clarke County High	Public	9-12	627 Mosby Blvd.	Berryville	22611	Clarke County	Clarke County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 955-6130	683	51	13.3	26.2%	501 (73.4%)	26 (3.8%)	101 (14.8%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	45 (6.6%)	76.9	44^th of 331 public high schools	86.7%		69.7	90^th of 328 public high schools	72.6%	46		≥ 50%	86.9	93.8		90.6	389.0				95.3	445.0		≥ 50%	479.0		< 50%			88.9	80.2	351.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	408.0	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	94.8	100.0	79.8	≥ 50%		≥ 50%	399.0	430.0	≥ 50%				93.4	44.0			$10,715	$346	$10,369
Strasburg High	Public	9-12	250 Ram Drive	Strasburg	22657	Shenandoah County	Shenandoah County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 465-5195	614	39	15.6	83.4%	487 (79.3%)	20 (3.3%)	78 (12.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.6%)	61.8	133^rd of 331 public high schools	59.8%		57.4	163^rd of 328 public high schools	50.3%	30		< 50%	74.8	< 50%		100.0	< 50%	≥ 50%			86.9	402.0	430.0	≥ 50%			≥ 50%			86.4	73.2	408.0	≥ 50%	< 50%	≥ 50%	75.0	416.0		< 50%	90.3	409.0					40.9	≥ 50%	78.2	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	≥ 50%	< 50%	386.0	≥ 50%		$8,629	$692	$7,937
Warren County High	Public	9-12	155 Westminster Drive	Front Royal	22630	Warren County	Warren County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 635-4144	772	58	13.2	73.3%	567 (73.4%)	33 (4.3%)	105 (13.6%)	8 (1.0%)	6 (0.8%)	3 (0.4%)	50 (6.5%)	61.4	137^th of 331 public high schools	58.6%		60.9	141^st of 328 public high schools	57.0%	4						100.0	≥ 50%	< 50%			94.1	≥ 50%	447.0	427.0		< 50%				81.4	71.8	395.0	399.0	< 50%	≥ 50%	60.9	60.0	≥ 50%	406.0	87.6	80.0			< 50%	< 50%	24.3	385.0	395.0	< 50%		< 50%		≥ 50%			$12,383	$600	$11,783
Skyline High	Public	9-12	151 Skyline Vista Drive	Front Royal	22630	Warren County	Warren County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(540) 631-0366	848	58	14.5	73.9%	587 (69.2%)	52 (6.1%)	115 (13.6%)	10 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	82 (9.7%)	44.4	226^th of 331 public high schools	31.7%		36.5	260^th of 328 public high schools	20.7%	34						78.1	412.0	< 50%	≥ 50%		73.0	69.6	422.0	447.0	446.0	377.0	< 50%			71.4	72.2	389.0	81.8		50.0	52.8	78.6		≥ 50%	85.5	80.7	≥ 50%		< 50%	< 50%	36.1	50.0	< 50%	< 50%		459.0		≥ 50%		≥ 50%	$11,845	$861	$10,984

Frequently Asked Questions about John Handley High

What district is John Handley High in?

Winchester City Public Schools

Is John Handley High a good school?

John Handley High ranks 232^nd of 331 Virginia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into John Handley High?

John Handley High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Frederick Douglass Elementary
Elementary : Garland R. Quarles Elementary
Elementary : John Kerr Elementary
Elementary : Virginia Avenue Charlotte Dehart Elementary
Middle : Daniel Morgan Intermediate
Middle : Daniel Morgan Middle

How many students attend John Handley High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,361 students attended John Handley High.

What is the racial makeup of John Handley High?

Students at John Handley High are 45% Hispanic, 35% White, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Rate John Handley High!

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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.