Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23109

Zip code 23109 in Mathews, Virginia contains three public schools in the Mathews County Public Schools district, serving approximately 790 students across grades PK-12: Mathews Elementary (PK-5), Thomas Hunter Middle (6-7), and Mathews High (8-12). This is a small, high-poverty district where all three schools have free/reduced-price lunch eligibility between 72% and 75%, yet it still earns a district rating of 3 stars, ranking 53rd out of 131 Virginia districts.

Across the three schools, the standout performer for consistency is Mathews Elementary, which has earned 3 stars in each of the past three years and remains above the median, with 4th grade reading, math, and Virginia Studies all scoring well above state proficiency averages. Mathews High is the most improved school, climbing from the 29th to the 50th percentile over three years with a 90.7% graduation rate and a better-than-state dropout rate, while posting proficiency above state averages on 10 of 12 SOL tests despite 73% poverty. The school to watch is Thomas Hunter Middle, which has declined from the 48th to the 37th percentile over the same period, staying at 2 stars and falling below state averages on 3 of 5 SOL tests. Its clearest bright spot is 7th grade math (61.54% vs. 51.11% statewide).

Several patterns stand out to parents. Chronic absenteeism spikes at the high school level (18.8% vs. a 13-14% range in the lower schools), which is a red flag despite academic gains. The unusual grade configuration means 8th graders attend high school, which complicates direct comparisons. One notable weakness is 9th-grade Algebra I, which sits far below the state average while 8th-grade Algebra I scores 100% proficient, suggesting course placement is key. Finally, spending does not clearly explain performance, as the high school spends the most per student yet only performs around the median, while the lower-spending elementary school is more consistently rated. Overall, the district has a solid elementary school and an improving high school, but the declining middle school is the clear priority for support.