Schools in Zip Code 22312

Zip code 22312 in Alexandria, Virginia, is served by six Fairfax County Public Schools — one high school, two middle schools, and three elementary schools — that together paint a picture of stark educational contrasts within a single district. The area includes Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology, a nationally elite magnet school, alongside some of the lowest-ranked schools in Virginia. The five non-magnet schools serve a predominantly high-poverty student body, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 70% to 98%, while Thomas Jefferson's rate is just under 15%.

Thomas Jefferson is the clear standout, ranked 3rd in Virginia with 100% graduation and near-perfect SOL scores. Among the neighborhood schools, Bren Mar Park Elementary is the strongest and most promising: it ranks 742nd in the state, has the lowest chronic absenteeism (9%) among non-TJ schools, and has shown steady improvement in math, reading, and science. At the other end, Holmes Middle is a concern: while it ranks slightly better than Glasgow Middle, its 7th-grade on-grade math proficiency collapsed to just 2.5%, and it has the highest chronic absenteeism in the zip at 17.9%. Glasgow Middle and both Parklawn Elementary and Weyanoke Elementary sit in the bottom 7–11% of Virginia schools.

Several insights stand out. Advanced math students at Glasgow and Holmes perform extremely well — 100% geometry proficiency — but the majority of students in grade-level math are far behind, with on-grade proficiency often under 30% in middle school. This suggests a two-tier system. More spending does not guarantee results: Weyanoke spends the most per student ($15,350) yet remains near the bottom, while Bren Mar Park spends slightly less and outperforms it. Chronic absenteeism tracks closely with outcomes, and the weak elementary results feed directly into struggling middle schools. Overall, this zip code is a tale of two systems: a world-class high school serving a small elite, and neighborhood schools that need significant targeted support, especially in math.