Best High Schools in Zip Code 22309

Zip code 22309 is served by a single public high school, Mount Vernon High, which enrolls 1,858 students in grades 9–12 in Alexandria, VA. The school is part of Fairfax County Public Schools, a highly rated district ranked in the 70th percentile statewide. However, Mount Vernon High itself ranks in the bottom 14% of Virginia high schools, though it has improved slightly from the bottom 7–8% in prior years. The school serves a majority economically disadvantaged population, with 57% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, but it benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.4 and per-student spending of $13,442.

Academically, the school shows clear strengths and challenges. Earth Science proficiency beats both district and state averages at most grade levels, including 86.2% proficiency among 12th graders. The graduation rate of 92.7% matches the district and slightly exceeds the state, while dropout and chronic absenteeism rates are near or better than state averages. However, English Reading proficiency lags noticeably, with 12th graders at 52.9% versus 67.6% in the district and 70.2% statewide. Chemistry is the weakest subject, with 10th grade proficiency at 47.8% in 2025-2026, still below the state's 60.8%. Algebra II proficiency for 10th graders also trails the district by a wide margin: 60% versus 86.1%. Encouragingly, students taking Algebra I in later grades often perform well, with 12th graders reaching 100% proficiency in 2024-2025, and several subject areas improved from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, including Chemistry and Earth Science.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Mount Vernon High is a school working to close significant achievement gaps while maintaining strong graduation outcomes. It has clear academic bright spots in Earth Science and in helping students persist to graduation, but it struggles with literacy, Chemistry, and advanced math. The school is in a high-performing district, and with solid resources and a low student-teacher ratio, there is a foundation for continued progress. Still, the persistent gaps in core subjects suggest that students may need additional support in reading and STEM areas to reach the levels seen across Virginia.