Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23237

In zip code 23237 (North Chesterfield, VA), there are 4 schools—3 elementary schools and 1 middle school—serving a high-poverty population, with all belonging to Chesterfield County Public Schools. Across all four schools, roughly 3 in 4 students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism ranges from 19.2% to 23.9%—well above the state rate of 14.8%. Every school ranks in the bottom 8% of its school level, and proficiency rates lag district and state averages by 16 to 29 percentage points.

Beulah Elementary stands out as the strongest elementary school in the zip code, posting the highest average SOL proficiency (about 49.2%) and the best 3rd grade math and reading scores, even though it has the lowest per-pupil spending ($7,402). Salem Church Middle, the only middle school, has the highest overall proficiency average (54.1%) across all tested subjects, with standout results in advanced courses like Earth Science (98.2% proficient) and Algebra I (83.5%), plus broad year-over-year gains. Bellwood Elementary is the most improved school—boosting its overall proficiency from 38.1% to 42.4%—but remains the lowest-ranked and lowest-performing school, despite spending the most per student ($10,504) and having the smallest class sizes. Salem Church Elementary sits in the middle academically, but its 5th grade science, reading, and math scores all declined sharply.

Spending and staffing do not clearly predict performance: Beulah spends the least but outperforms Bellwood, which spends the most. A common challenge is that 3rd grade proficiency often fades by 5th grade, particularly in math and reading, suggesting a need for stronger upper-elementary interventions. Salem Church Middle also shows a split picture—advanced courses are strong, but general 8th grade science and math proficiency are far below state averages, likely reflecting selective course enrollment. There are no high schools in this zip code, so students must transition to schools outside 23237, making long-term academic trajectory difficult to assess. Overall, this is a high-poverty, academically challenged cluster, with Beulah Elementary and Salem Church Middle as relative bright spots and Bellwood Elementary showing encouraging signs of improvement.