Summary:
Zip code 22305 in Alexandria, Virginia is served by two public elementary schools — Mount Vernon Elementary and Cora Kelly School for Math Science and Technology — both part of Alexandria City Public Schools, with no middle or high schools in the area and both schools serving grades PK–5. The district overall is low-performing, ranking in the bottom fifth of Virginia districts, though both schools have shown improvement in recent years.
Mount Vernon Elementary is the stronger overall school, holding a 22nd percentile state ranking versus Cora Kelly's 19th percentile. Mount Vernon's reading proficiency averages 62.0% compared to 50.7% at Cora Kelly, and its 3rd grade reading score of 60.7% is nearly 20 points higher. Mount Vernon also serves a far less economically disadvantaged population, with 41.2% of students receiving free/reduced lunch versus 82.2% at Cora Kelly. However, Cora Kelly stands out for its substantial resources, spending $20,016 per student versus $12,812 at Mount Vernon, and maintaining a lower 14.7:1 student-teacher ratio.
Despite their differences, both schools have identical average math proficiency of 61.3%, but with very different grade-level patterns. Mount Vernon's math scores decline from 63.4% in 3rd grade to 59.1% in 5th grade, while Cora Kelly improves dramatically from 45.5% to 71.7% — the zip code's strongest single test score and nearly matching the state average. The biggest concern in the area is Cora Kelly's 3rd grade reading proficiency of 40.9%, well below state norms, though its cohort gains in math are highly encouraging. Both schools are improving their state percentiles, keep chronic absenteeism near 10% — below district and state averages — and appear to be on positive trajectories.
Thank you for your feedback!