Summary:
Zip code 22602 in Winchester, Virginia, is served by a single middle school, Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle, which enrolls 853 students in grades 6–8 as part of Frederick County Public Schools, making it the only public middle school option for families in this area.
The school's biggest strength is advanced mathematics: 8th-grade Geometry and 7th-grade Algebra I students posted 100% proficiency, and 8th-grade Algebra I reached 98.4%, all at or above district and state averages. Civics is another bright spot, with 73.2% proficiency in 2025–2026—above the district and near the state average—though it dropped sharply from 83.2% the previous year. However, grade-level math tells a different story: 7th-grade math proficiency was just 50.9% and 8th-grade math 50.0%, both near or slightly below state averages. Reading scores also trail the state, with all three grades hovering between 65.9% and 69.5%. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at 17.1%, above the district's 16.0% and the state's 14.8%.
Academically, Byrd Middle consistently outperforms its district, which is ranked in the bottom 21% of Virginia districts, but the school itself sits near the middle of the state, ranking in the 36th percentile for 2025–2026 after two years in the 44th percentile. With a student-teacher ratio of 12.3 and per-student spending of $11,665, resources appear solid, and 36.2% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Families should note the school's excellence in advanced math pathways and its need for additional support in on-grade-level math and reading, as well as the recent decline in 8th-grade civics and science scores.
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