Summary:
ZIP code 23072 in Hayes, VA is home to two elementary schools — Abingdon Elementary and Achilles Elementary — both serving grades PK-5 within the Gloucester County Public Schools district, which ranks 16th out of 131 Virginia districts. The two schools together serve 852 students, and both have similar economic profiles, with roughly two-thirds of students at each school eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Achilles Elementary is the higher-performing school overall. It posted stronger average SOL proficiency in both school years — 79.4% in 2024-25 and 78.0% in 2025-26, compared to Abingdon's 76.0% and 77.0%. Achilles leads in both math and reading and boasts an elite 4th-grade math score of 96.4% proficiency in 2025-26, far above the state average of 73.3%. Abingdon Elementary counters in other subjects, leading in 5th-grade science (79.7% in 2025-26) and 4th-grade Virginia Studies (76.2% in 2025-26). Abingdon also has slightly lower chronic absenteeism at 11.1% versus Achilles's 12.7%, and spends more per student ($11,558 vs. $10,650).
The biggest academic concern is Abingdon's 3rd-grade reading, which fell to 56.1% in 2025-26, well below both the state average (67.6%) and Achilles's 75.0%. Both schools struggle with 3rd-grade math (70.2% and 71.0%) relative to the district average of 83.0%. On the positive side, Abingdon's 4th-grade reading improved dramatically to 87.3%, and attendance at both schools is better than the district and state averages. The two schools have also converged significantly: in 2023-24 Abingdon ranked at the 72nd percentile versus Achilles's 48th, but by 2025-26 they sit nearly tied at #419 and #422. Overall, Achilles is the academic leader in math and early reading, while Abingdon distinguishes itself in science, Virginia Studies, and attendance.
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