Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 20194

Zip code 20194 in Reston, VA is served by two elementary schools — Aldrin Elementary and Armstrong Elementary — both part of Fairfax County Public Schools, a district ranked 39th out of 131 Virginia districts, and both schools serve grades PK–6 with enrollments of 455 and 357 students, respectively. These two schools share the same district, grade span, and community, yet their academic profiles differ noticeably, making them an interesting pair for parents to compare.

Aldrin Elementary is the clear standout. It ranks 193rd out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools (83rd percentile, 4 stars) for 2025-2026, up significantly from 307th the prior year, while Armstrong ranks 387th (65th percentile, 3 stars). Aldrin's calculated average SOL proficiency is 83.9% across all reported tests compared to 78.7% at Armstrong, and Aldrin leads in both math (81.8% vs 79.9%) and reading (86.9% vs 78.3%). Aldrin also has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate at 7.8% versus Armstrong's 11.4%, and both schools beat the district (11.9%) and state (14.8%) averages. Interestingly, Aldrin achieves these results while spending $869 less per student ($17,721 vs $18,590) and with a slightly higher student-teacher ratio (10.8 vs 10.0).

Aldrin's higher free/reduced lunch eligibility rate (24.0% vs 19.3%) shows that economic disadvantage does not explain its advantage, pointing to school culture or instructional practices as likely factors. However, Aldrin has a surprising weakness in 6th grade math, where proficiency is just 61.3% — below both the district (69.3%) and state (63.2%) averages. Armstrong, meanwhile, improved substantially from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with its average proficiency rising from 72.9% to 78.7%, including a remarkable 21-point jump in 5th grade reading. However, Armstrong's 5th grade math data is missing for 2025-2026 after scoring just 50% the prior year, making it a metric worth monitoring. Overall, Aldrin is the higher-performing and more consistent school, while Armstrong is improving rapidly but still trails in most areas.