Summary:
ZIP code 22448 in Dahlgren, Virginia, is served by a single elementary school, Potomac Elementary, which enrolls 566 students in grades K–5 as part of King George County Public Schools. Because only one school is in this area, the analysis focuses on how Potomac Elementary performs relative to its district and the state of Virginia.
Potomac Elementary stands out for its strong 4th grade performance. In the most recent school year, 81.31% of 4th graders passed mathematics, well above the district's 70.19% and the state's 73.29%, and 73.83% passed Virginia Studies, also beating both benchmarks. Additionally, 4th grade math and Virginia Studies improved year over year, making 4th grade the clear bright spot. However, the school saw sharp declines in 5th grade. Science proficiency fell by 20.2 points to 44.09%, far below the district (63.08%) and state (68.75%), while 5th grade reading dropped 16.84 points to 61.29%, also falling below district and state averages. These declines likely drove the school's overall ranking down from the 56th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 40th percentile in 2025–2026, with its star rating dropping from 3 stars to 2 stars.
In other areas, 3rd and 5th grade math remain competitive with state averages, though 3rd grade math declined significantly year over year. The school's chronic absenteeism rate is 15.7%, which is notably better than the district's 21.1% but slightly worse than the state's 14.8%. About 37.28% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, and the school spends $8,638 per student with a student–teacher ratio of 15.2:1. For parents, Potomac Elementary offers a clear strength in 4th grade academics, and it generally outperforms its district in several tested subjects. However, the recent drops in 5th grade reading and science are areas of concern that would benefit most from targeted literacy and science supports.
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