Schools in Zip Code 22309

Zip code 22309 in Alexandria, VA, contains 6 public schools in Fairfax County Public Schools — 5 elementary schools serving grades PK-6 and 1 high school serving grades 9-12 — with a combined enrollment of about 4,640 students in a predominantly high-poverty area. All five elementary schools serve mostly low-income families, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 78.9% at Washington Mill Elementary to 97.6% at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary. The high school, Mount Vernon High, has a much lower FRL rate at 57.1%. There are no middle schools in the zip code, so students transition to schools outside the area before reaching high school.

Among the elementary schools, Riverside Elementary stands out as the strongest performer, ranking 636th out of 1,111 schools in Virginia (43rd percentile, 2 stars) with the highest math (68.4%) and reading (69.5%) proficiency averages, plus the largest elementary enrollment at 741 students. At the other end, Mount Vernon Woods Elementary faces the most significant challenges, ranking 1,023rd of 1,111 (8th percentile, 0 stars) with just 17.5% of 5th graders proficient in math. Mount Vernon High, while ranking low statewide (286th of 331), shows encouraging signs: a 92.7% graduation rate matching the district, improving rank from the 7th to 14th percentile, and strong Earth Science and 12th-grade Biology scores.

Several important patterns emerge. Per-student spending does not predict outcomes: Woodlawn Elementary spends the most ($16,143 per student) yet ranks in the 13th percentile, while Washington Mill Elementary spends the least ($13,366) and outperforms three of its peers. Upper-elementary math is a systemic weakness — Woodlawn Elementary drops from 77.6% math proficiency in 3rd grade to 25.8% in 6th grade. Chronic absenteeism also varies independently of poverty: Mount Vernon Woods Elementary has the highest poverty rate but the lowest absenteeism (10.3%), while Woodlawn Elementary's absenteeism is highest at 17.7%. The absence of middle schools in the zip code may contribute to these transitions, though middle school data is not available.