Schools in Zip Code 20124

Zip code 20124 in Clifton, VA is home to three public schools in Fairfax County Public Schools, forming a complete K-12 pathway that serves 4,134 students across Union Mill Elementary (PK-6), Liberty Middle (7-8), and Centreville High (9-12).

Union Mill Elementary is the standout performer in the zip code, ranking in the 86th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating—a dramatic jump from the 73rd percentile the year before. It has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (7.2%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (12.47%) of the three schools, along with math and reading proficiency that consistently exceed district and state averages. Liberty Middle shines in accelerated coursework, posting 100% proficiency in both 7th-grade Algebra I and 8th-grade Geometry, while also offering the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.6) and highest per-student spending ($14,282). However, its grade-level 7th-grade math proficiency fell below the state average. Centreville High delivers strong results in 9th-grade Biology (95.27%) but shows clear warning signs, including a graduation rate below district and state averages, a 6.3% dropout rate, and chronic absenteeism of 18.1%—the highest in the zip code.

Several patterns stand out. Chronic absenteeism rises steadily from elementary (7.2%) to middle (14.1%) to high school (18.1%), with Centreville High exceeding both district and state averages. Free/reduced lunch rates are strikingly uneven within the same zip code: Union Mill sits at 12.47%, while Liberty Middle (37.79%) and Centreville High (31.15%) are roughly two to three times higher. Spending also varies widely, with Liberty Middle spending 41% more per student than Union Mill, yet ranking lower overall. The feeder system tells a clear story: the elementary school outranks both the middle and high school on statewide percentiles, and while advanced students at Liberty Middle achieve elite math scores, grade-level students perform closer to state norms.