Best Public Schools in Zip Code 20121

SchoolDigger data for zip code 20121 in Centreville, VA, covers four schools in Fairfax County Public Schools: three elementary schools serving grades PK–6 and one high school serving grades 9–12, with no middle schools located in the zip code. The elementary schools—Bull Run Elementary, Centreville Elementary, and Centre Ridge Elementary—offer contrasting academic profiles, while Mountain View High stands apart as a small, high-spending school that appears to serve a specialized alternative population.

Among the three elementary schools, Centreville Elementary is the strongest overall: it has the highest state ranking (362 of 1111, 67th percentile) and the highest average SOL proficiency at 78.1%, along with the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (37.0%) and low chronic absenteeism of 8.7%. Bull Run Elementary is the most improved, jumping from the 39th to the 59th percentile over the past year and boosting its average SOL proficiency from 66.5% to 75.3%, with particularly strong gains in 3rd grade reading and 5th grade math. Centre Ridge Elementary is the lowest performing, ranking in the 18th percentile with just 58.6% average SOL proficiency and the highest poverty rate at 73.1% free/reduced lunch; notably, it has the best attendance in the zip code, with only 5.8% chronic absenteeism, yet this does not translate to higher scores.

Mountain View High has just 145 students and spends $40,621 per student, more than three times the amount spent per pupil at the elementary schools, with a very low student-teacher ratio of 6.8:1. Despite these resources, its graduation rate is only 42.7% versus a district and state rate above 92%, and its dropout rate is 51.0%. This pattern is typical of an alternative high school serving students with significant challenges. Still, there are bright spots: 12th grade Earth Science reached 78.6% proficiency and 10th grade Algebra I was 76.2%, both above district and state averages. Fairfax County Public Schools is a strong district overall (4 stars, 70th percentile), so even the lowest-ranked school in this zip code benefits from district-wide support, and families should consider the specific needs of each school when making decisions.