Summary:
Zip code 22302 in Alexandria, Virginia is served by four schools in the Alexandria City Public Schools district: three elementary schools (Douglas MacArthur Elementary, Charles Barrett Elementary, and George Mason Elementary) and one high school (Alexandria City High), with no standalone middle schools in the immediate area.
Among the elementary schools, Douglas MacArthur Elementary is the overall academic leader, ranking in the 47th percentile statewide and posting the strongest math and reading proficiency, especially in 4th and 5th grades. George Mason Elementary stands out for having the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the zip code (5.9% vs. a 14.8% state average), the lowest student-teacher ratio (14.1), and the highest per-student spending ($17,981); its 5th-grade science proficiency was an exceptional 74.51% in 2025–2026. Charles Barrett Elementary ranks lowest among the three (30th percentile) but produces outstanding 4th-grade Virginia Studies scores, with proficiency near 79% in 2025–2026, well above district and state averages.
Alexandria City High is the clear negative standout, ranking in the bottom 3% of Virginia high schools with a graduation rate of just 82.7%, a dropout rate of 9.7% (nearly double the state’s 5.0%), and chronic absenteeism of 19.2%. More than two-thirds of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch, a much higher rate than the 41%–51% range at the elementary schools. While high school proficiency gaps are large in 9th and 10th grade subjects, upper-grade students often perform near or above state averages, suggesting that those who persist are more successful. The absence of a middle school in the zip code makes the transition into the large high school a key vulnerability, and despite widely varying per-student spending among elementary schools, higher spending does not consistently translate into higher rankings.
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