Summary:
Zip code 22980 in Waynesboro, Virginia is home to 7 schools — 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school — serving roughly 3,493 students across Waynesboro City Public Schools and Augusta County Public Schools, in an area where about 91% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The only school outside the Waynesboro district is Cassell Elementary, which has a lower poverty rate (71%) and belongs to the higher-ranked Augusta County district.
Several schools stand out. Waynesboro High is the most improved, jumping from the 8th to the 34th percentile over three years, with standout SOL results in Geometry (94.6%), 10th-grade Reading (95.0%), and VA/US History (90.0%). Wenonah Elementary excels in math and science, with 83.3% of 5th graders proficient in math and 76.2% in science, and it has the highest per-student spending ($15,558) — yet its 3rd-grade reading proficiency is just 38.5%, the lowest in the zip code. Westwood Hills Elementary has the best attendance (9.4% chronic absenteeism) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.5:1), while William Perry Elementary is the most challenged, ranking in the 10th percentile with 5th-grade math proficiency at just 41.8%.
Chronic absenteeism rises sharply in secondary schools, from 9.4–16.3% in elementary schools to 25.1% at Kate Collins Middle and 31.1% at Waynesboro High. Early reading is a systemic weakness — three elementary schools fall below 54% in 3rd-grade reading — though some recover by 4th grade. Spending does not clearly drive outcomes: Cassell spends the least ($8,219) yet performs near state averages, while higher-spending schools show mixed results. Trends vary too: Waynesboro High, Wenonah, and Berkeley Glenn Elementary are improving, while Cassell and Westwood Hills have slipped, and William Perry and Kate Collins remain stagnant. Overall, the area's biggest opportunities for growth are early literacy, middle school math, and secondary attendance.
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