Schools in Zip Code 22401

Zip code 22401 (Fredericksburg, VA) contains 4 schools—2 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school—serving approximately 3,480 students, all part of Fredericksburg City Public Schools, a district ranking in the bottom 3% of Virginia. Every school in this area serves a high-poverty population, with over 90% of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch, and chronic absenteeism runs well above the state average at every campus.

Among the elementary schools, Hugh Mercer Elementary is the stronger performer, ranking higher than Lafayette Elementary in most subjects—for example, 55% proficiency in 5th-grade science versus 46.3%, and 52.5% versus 32.9% in 4th-grade math. Hugh Mercer has also improved its state rank over the past year, while Lafayette has declined sharply, with 4th-grade math dropping from 50.8% to 32.9%. At the middle school level, Walker-Grant Middle is a bright spot for advanced math: it posts 100% proficiency in Algebra I and Geometry, far above state averages. However, grade-level math proficiency remains low (29.6% in 6th grade), and its overall rank, though steadily improving, is still in the 12th percentile.

James Monroe High faces the biggest challenges, with an 84.5% graduation rate, a 10.2% dropout rate, and 31.9% chronic absenteeism. Its 11th-grade writing proficiency is just 9.5% versus the state’s 79.9%, and 10th-grade geometry sits at 3.9%. Yet advanced students excel: 9th-grade Algebra II and 12th-grade Biology both hit 100% proficiency. The pattern across the area is consistent—accelerated learners thrive while many grade-level students struggle. Spending per student and student-teacher ratios are similar across all four schools, suggesting the gaps are driven more by poverty, absenteeism, and instructional consistency than by resources.