Summary:
ZIP code 22401, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, contains just one public high school: James Monroe High, serving grades 9 through 12 with 1,013 students. The school, part of Fredericksburg City Public Schools — a district ranked 127th out of 131 in Virginia — serves a high-poverty population, with 92.3% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Chronic absenteeism (31.9%) and the dropout rate (10.2%) are both more than double state averages.
The school's graduation rate is 84.5% versus 92.3% statewide. Its state ranking improved from the 2nd percentile in 2024–2025 to the 14th percentile in 2025–2026, though it remains in the bottom sixth of Virginia high schools. There are bright spots: 9th-grade Algebra II and Geometry students outperformed state averages, as did seniors in Biology and Earth Science. However, 11th-grade Writing proficiency is just 9.5% versus roughly 80% statewide, and history/social studies scores are consistently weak. Tenth-grade Geometry proficiency is only 3.9%.
For parents, James Monroe High offers a mixed picture. Advanced 9th-grade math students and senior science cohorts demonstrate that success is possible, but the severe gaps in writing, history, and retaker math courses suggest many students struggle substantially. With relatively high per-student spending of $13,382 and a 15.1-to-1 student-teacher ratio, the school's challenges appear tied more to poverty, absenteeism, and engagement than to raw funding. The most urgent priorities are improving writing instruction and reducing chronic absenteeism, as both are strongly linked to the school's broader academic and graduation struggles.
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