Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23336

Zip code 23336 contains two public schools in Accomack County Public Schools serving Chincoteague, Virginia: Chincoteague Elementary (grades PK–5) and Chincoteague High (grades 6–12), meaning there is no separate middle school. The clear standout is Chincoteague High, which earns 4 stars and ranks in the 73rd–74th percentile of Virginia high schools in recent years. In 2023-2024 it was 16th out of 329 Virginia high schools (95th percentile, 5 stars), a remarkable achievement given that over 96% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Its graduation rate is 97.1%, well above the district (88.8%) and state (92.3%), and its dropout rate is just 2.8%.

Chincoteague High also posts strong SOL proficiency in Algebra I, Biology, Writing, and 6th and 8th grade math, with average proficiency around 81.2% across tests. The weakest spot is 7th grade, where reading proficiency is 60% and math is 55.6%. Chincoteague Elementary, by contrast, receives 2 stars and ranks in the 39th percentile statewide for 2025-2026. It outperforms its district in most tested areas but trails the state in 5th grade math, reading, and science — with 5th grade science at 51.5% vs. 68.8% statewide. Elementary average proficiency is about 68.8%, up from 64.7% the prior year, showing improvement in early grades like 3rd grade reading and math.

Both schools are high-poverty and relatively small, which creates large year-to-year swings in test scores. The high school’s state rank dropped from 16th to 88th, but its average SOL proficiency stayed essentially flat, suggesting the change reflects small-cohort volatility or accountability shifts rather than a performance collapse. Chronic absenteeism is a cross-cutting concern: 17.2% at the high school and 16.5% at the elementary, both above state averages. Spending and staffing also contrast — the elementary spends more per pupil ($11,991 vs. $11,080) yet has a higher student-teacher ratio (12.3 vs. 8.4). For parents, Chincoteague High stands out as a top academic performer despite high poverty, while Chincoteague Elementary is a solid, improving option that still lags in upper-elementary science and reading.