Summary:
The six public schools in zip code 23061 (Gloucester, VA) serve students from pre-K through grade 12 and are part of Gloucester County Public Schools, a district ranked in the 88th percentile statewide. Among them are one high school, two middle schools, and three elementary schools, all of which share a remarkably consistent economic profile—roughly two-thirds of students districtwide qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet academic performance is generally strong.
Standout schools include Botetourt Elementary, the district’s top overall performer with an 84th-percentile state ranking, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (10.4%), and every 2025–26 SOL score above state averages. Gloucester High shines in graduation outcomes (96.2% graduation rate vs. 92.3% statewide) and history proficiency, while Petsworth Elementary posted standout reading and VA Studies scores. In the middle grades, Peasley Middle and Page Middle both report 100% proficiency in Algebra I and Geometry for accelerated students, though Page also leads the district in chronic absenteeism at 23.2%—more than double Botetourt’s rate.
Funding and attendance patterns reveal clear divisions: elementary schools spend significantly more per student ($10,400–$11,900) than secondary schools ($7,300–$8,100), and elementary chronic absenteeism is far lower. The district’s biggest academic red flag is at Gloucester High, where World History proficiency sits at just 20% in 9th grade and 11.1% in 10th grade, despite strong VA/US History results. Late-stage Algebra I at the high school also lags, with only about 60–67% proficiency among upperclassmen. Bethel Elementary shows a reading–math gap, with 5th grade reading at 74.7% versus 91.6% in math. These challenges suggest that targeted interventions in middle school attendance, high school history and math, and Bethel’s reading program could help this otherwise high-achieving district close its remaining gaps.
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