Summary:
Zip code 22560 is served by a single middle school, James H. Cary Intermediate, which enrolls 299 students in grades 5–8 and is part of Essex County Public Schools. Because this is the only middle school in the area, there are no local schools to compare it to, so the most useful comparisons are against Virginia state averages and the school’s own performance over the past few years.
James H. Cary Intermediate has clear bright spots, especially in advanced math: 100% of 8th graders passed Algebra I in 2025–2026 and 100% passed Geometry in 2024–2025, both above state averages. In 2024–2025, 7th and 8th grade math scores actually exceeded the state, and 8th grade reading in 2025–2026 essentially matched Virginia’s average. However, there are serious weaknesses as well. Only 18.97% of 6th graders were proficient in math in 2025–2026, compared to 63.19% statewide, and 7th grade reading proficiency was 51.95% versus 73.01% statewide. This uneven performance suggests that certain grade levels and subjects need much more support than others.
The school’s overall ranking has been slipping, from the 30th percentile in 2023–2024 (2 stars) to the 19th percentile in 2025–2026 (1 star). With 99.67% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school faces significant economic challenges, and chronic absenteeism (15.1%) is slightly above the state average of 14.8%. The student-teacher ratio is a favorable 11.1 and per-student spending is $8,708, yet most scores remain below state averages. Because this school is essentially the only tested school in its district for most grades and subjects, its performance directly determines the district’s overall results. The advanced math results prove the school can achieve excellence, but targeted help in 6th grade math and 7th grade reading will be essential to reverse the broader decline.
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