Summary:
Zip code 22747 in Washington, VA is served by two public schools within Rappahannock County Public Schools, which together cover grades PK-12 in an unusual configuration — Rappahannock County Elementary serves grades PK-7 with 457 students, while Rappahannock County High begins at 8th grade with 316 students.
Despite high poverty — nearly 65% of elementary and 53% of high school students qualify for free/reduced lunch — both schools show notable strengths. The elementary school is the stronger academic performer overall, with 7th grade math proficiency at 62% versus 51% statewide, and 6th grade reading at 84% versus 73% statewide. The high school also posts strong results in 8th grade Algebra I (96% vs. 93%), 8th grade science (78% vs. 65%), and 11th grade reading (89% vs. 88%). However, the elementary school struggles with 3rd grade reading (52% vs. 68% statewide), and the high school has a serious weakness in 11th grade writing at just 50% proficiency compared to 80% statewide.
The two schools have very different trajectories. The elementary school's state ranking has slipped from the 53rd to the 32nd percentile over three years, while the high school improved from the 13th to the 30th percentile. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern, especially at the high school, where 30.7% of students are chronically absent — double the state rate of 14.8% — compared to 15.3% at the elementary school. The high school spends more per student ($14,667 vs. $11,769) and has smaller classes (10.3 vs. 12.5 student-teacher ratio), yet still lags overall in academics. Encouragingly, the high school graduates 94.1% of students, above the state average of 92.3%, with a lower dropout rate of 3.9%. For parents, this is a small rural district with genuine bright spots in math and reading, but writing instruction and attendance need urgent attention.
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