Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23030

Zip code 23030 is served by just two public schools in Charles City County Public Schools: Charles City County Elementary (grades PK–6, 302 students) and Charles City County High (grades 7–12, 221 students), for a combined enrollment of 523 students in a rural district that ranks 129th out of 131 districts in Virginia.

Neither school is a positive standout. Charles City County High ranks in the bottom 1% of Virginia high schools, while Charles City County Elementary sits in the 5th percentile of elementary schools. The high school has a few relative bright spots, including 75% proficiency in 8th grade Algebra I and 73% in 11th grade Reading, though both remain below state averages. The elementary school shows its smallest gaps in 3rd grade Reading (54.55% vs. 67.61% statewide) and 6th grade Math (45.45% vs. 63.19%), but every tested subject at both schools falls below the state average. The largest gaps are stark: 5th grade Science proficiency is just 21% versus 69% statewide, and 5th grade Math is 27% versus 72%.

Both schools serve a population where essentially every child qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting near-universal poverty. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern at the elementary school, where 23.2% of students are chronically absent—well above the 14.8% state average—while the high school's rate of 14.4% is actually right at the state norm. Despite very high per-student spending ($18,265 at the high school) and a remarkably low 6.3:1 student-teacher ratio, outcomes remain low. The high school graduates 81.8% of its students and carries a 9.0% dropout rate, both well behind the state. In short, these schools face deep, systemic challenges that funding and small class sizes have not yet overcome.