Best Public Schools in Zip Code 22973

ZIP code 22973 in Stanardsville, VA contains 4 public schools serving grades PK–12 within Greene County Public Schools, a small, economically disadvantaged district where 68–69% of students across all schools qualify for free/reduced lunch. The district overall ranks 88 out of 131 Virginia districts, but performance varies dramatically by school level. William Monroe High is the clear standout, ranking 152 of 331 Virginia high schools with 3 stars for 2025–26, and its rank has improved dramatically from the 27th percentile in 2023–24 to the 54th percentile today. Meanwhile, William Monroe Middle ranks in the bottom quartile (306 of 416, 1 star), and Nathanael Greene Elementary sits at 783 of 1,111 elementary schools (1 star), making the high school the strongest link in the chain.

The middle grades show a concerning pattern. While William Monroe Middle posts perfect 100% proficiency in advanced math courses like Geometry and 7th-grade Algebra I, regular 8th-grade math proficiency is only 36.9% versus the state's 46.9%, and 8th-grade reading lags at 61.4% vs. 73.5%—a 12-point deficit. At Nathanael Greene Elementary, 5th grade is a particular trouble spot: math proficiency is 63.4% vs. 72.4% statewide, science is just 45.5% vs. 68.8%, and reading is 57.4% vs. 72.4%. By contrast, William Monroe High excels in STEM, with 9th-grade Earth Science proficiency at 98.0% and Algebra II at 97.3%, though 11th-grade reading (81.3%) trails the state's 88.1%.

Chronic absenteeism is a systemwide concern: all four schools exceed the state rate of 14.8%, with the high school highest at 24.2% and Nathanael Greene Primary lowest at 17.5%. Despite this, the high school's graduation rate of 94.6% beats the state average of 92.3%, and its dropout rate of 4.4% is below the state's 5.0%. Per-student spending runs inversely to grade level—$8,468 at the high school versus $9,888 at the elementary school—while student-teacher ratios range from 12.5 to 15.1. For parents, this district offers a strong, improving high school and excellent accelerated math opportunities, but families should watch for the middle-grade slide in reading and math, the 5th-grade science gap, and persistent absenteeism.