Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 22443

Zip code 22443 is home to two public elementary schools in Colonial Beach, Virginia: Washington District Elementary, serving grades PK-5 with 415 students, and Colonial Beach Elementary, serving grades PK-7 with 367 students. Although they share the same zip code, the schools belong to different districts: Westmoreland County Public Schools for WDE and Colonial Beach Public Schools for CBE. Both schools serve very high-need student populations, with free/reduced lunch rates of 102.9% and 92.1%, respectively.

Washington District Elementary is the stronger all-around school, earning a 3-star rating and a 2025-26 state rank of 458 out of 1,111 (59th percentile), well above Colonial Beach Elementary's rank of 606 (45th percentile, 2 stars). WDE's standout result is 3rd grade math, where 94.83% of students are proficient versus just 57.89% at CBE; WDE also leads in 3rd grade reading (77.59% vs. 55.26%). However, the gap nearly disappears by 5th grade: math scores are essentially tied, while CBE pulls ahead in reading (81.82% vs. 72.13%) and science (78.79% vs. 70.49%).

Colonial Beach Elementary becomes especially impressive in the middle grades, with 7th grade math proficiency at 82.5% versus 51.11% statewide and 7th grade reading at 85% versus 73.01% statewide. Funding tells a striking story: WDE spends $12,519 per student with a 12.9 student-teacher ratio, while CBE spends just $5,715 with a 17.2 ratio, yet CBE posts lower chronic absenteeism (13.7% vs. 15.3%) and stronger upper-grade results. Both schools improved their state rankings this year, though neither has fully returned to its 2023-24 peak, and CBE's volatile 5th grade science score highlights how small cohorts can produce dramatic year-to-year swings.