Summary:
Middle Schools in ZIP code 22406 consist of just one school: T. Benton Gayle Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 939 students in the Fredericksburg, VA area. The school is part of Stafford County Public Schools, and because no other middle school exists in this ZIP code, the most meaningful comparisons are against district and state averages rather than a local peer school. T. Benton Gayle Middle has an overall state rank of 249 out of 416 schools (40th percentile) for 2025–2026, down from the 50th percentile in the two prior years, and its star rating has slipped from 3 stars to 2 stars.
Academically, the school shows a mixed profile. Its strongest areas are advanced math and early middle school literacy: 8th grade Geometry proficiency is 98.33%, 7th grade Algebra I is 98.96%, and both 6th grade math and 6th/7th grade reading outperform district and state averages. However, 8th grade general mathematics is a major weakness, with just 31.19% proficiency versus the state average of 46.86%. 8th grade reading also lags at 69.77% compared to the state’s 73.51%. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate of 17.7% is nearly three points above the state rate of 14.8%, and about 41% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which provides important context for achievement patterns.
One notable pattern is the contrast between exceptional performance in advanced math and very low performance in on-grade-level 8th grade math, suggesting that many higher-performing students are accelerated into Algebra I or Geometry while the general math classroom serves students with greater needs. Another striking change is the drop in 8th grade Algebra I proficiency from 99.03% in 2024–2025 to 87.31% in 2025–2026. T. Benton Gayle Middle continues to excel in 6th grade math, consistently outpacing both the district and state. Overall, the school would benefit most from targeted interventions in 8th grade math and reading, along with stronger efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism.
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