Summary:
Zip code 22044 in Falls Church, VA is served by a single high school, Justice High, which enrolls about 2,357 students in grades 9–12 as part of Fairfax County Public Schools, one of Virginia’s top-ranked districts.
Justice High is a large school where 77.43% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and it has received a 1-star rating from the Virginia Department of Education for three consecutive years, ranking between the 15th and 20th percentile statewide. Its graduation rate is 88.3%, about 4 points below both the district (92.7%) and state (92.3%), while its dropout rate of 9.1% is nearly double the state average of 5.0%. Chronic absenteeism affects 21.3% of students, compared to just 11.9% for Fairfax County Public Schools and 14.8% statewide. These measures indicate systemic challenges that go beyond academics. At the same time, the school has some bright spots, especially for 12th graders: Algebra I proficiency is 100%, English Reading is 82.2% versus 70.2% statewide, and Earth Science is 83.9% versus 61.5% statewide. VA & US History proficiency among 12th graders reached 90.9%, well above the state's 60.6%.
Science instruction is a particular concern for younger students: 10th-grade Earth Science proficiency is just 25%, 11th-grade Chemistry is 26.7%, and 11th-grade Biology is 36.4%, all far below district and state averages. The pattern of higher 12th-grade scores likely reflects retesting and credit recovery, meaning students who persist to senior year form a more prepared cohort. With $11,944 per-student spending and a 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio, Justice High has substantial resources, yet its rank has not improved. For parents considering this school, the tradeoff is clear: a well-funded district and relatively strong senior-year outcomes, but persistent underperformance in science, above-average dropout rates, and high chronic absenteeism that keep Justice High near the bottom of Virginia’s high school rankings.
Thank you for your feedback!