Schools in Zip Code 23604

Zip code 23604 contains exactly one school: General Stanford Elementary, an elementary school serving grades PK–5 with 430 students located on Fort Eustis, VA, and part of Newport News City Public Schools. Since there are no middle schools, high schools, or alternative schools in the zip code, all comparisons must be made against district and state averages.

General Stanford Elementary is the standout — and only — school in the area, and it stands out in multiple ways. The school has improved its state rank for three consecutive years, rising from the 54th percentile in 2023–2024, to 66th percentile in 2024–2025, to the 71st percentile with a 4-star rating in 2025–2026. In the most recent school year, the school exceeded the Virginia state average in every tested subject and far exceeded its district average in all subjects. For example, 3rd grade math proficiency was 80.6% (state: 74.04%, district: 66.08%), 4th grade reading was 84.91% (state: 73.7%, district: 63.4%), and 5th grade math was 83.33% (state: 72.39%, district: 59.84%). The school also posted an incredibly low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.5%, compared to 18.5% for the district and 14.8% for the state.

Perhaps most notably, General Stanford Elementary achieves these results while serving a population where 99.53% of students receive free/reduced lunch — a very high level of economic disadvantage. That makes this school a remarkable exception to the typical relationship between poverty and achievement. Its steady upward trajectory over three years suggests genuine, consistent improvement, while the exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate points to a highly engaged school community, likely connected to the military installation at Fort Eustis. Some test scores do show year-to-year swings — such as 5th grade science dropping from 88.89% to 74.07% — but this is likely explained by student mobility within the military-connected population. Even with that variability, the school's consistently high performance remains impressive.