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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 23803

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At a glance

Schools

3,437

Students

Districts

Top rankedEttrick Elementary470^th of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Ettrick Elementary up 136 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Lakemont Elementary 11.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

2★

1★

0★

2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

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Summary:

ZIP code 23803 is home to 6 schools serving 3,437 students — 5 elementary schools and 1 middle school — with no high schools in the immediate area. The schools are split between two districts at opposite ends of Virginia's performance rankings: Chesterfield County Public Schools and Petersburg City Public Schools. Chesterfield's three schools — Matoaca Middle, Matoaca Elementary, and Ettrick Elementary — generally perform in the middle to upper ranges of the state. Petersburg's three schools — Cool Spring Elementary, Pleasants Lane Elementary, and Lakemont Elementary — rank in the bottom 1-2% of Virginia elementary schools. All six schools serve high-poverty populations, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility ranging from 75.2% to 94.3%.

Ettrick Elementary is the standout success story, climbing from the 23rd to the 58th percentile over three years and scoring above state averages in 7 of 8 SOL subjects — including 85.88% in 5th grade math versus the state's 72.39% — while serving a student body where 75.2% qualify for free/reduced lunch. Matoaca Elementary also posts strong upper-elementary results, with 5th grade science proficiency of 83.64% versus the state's 68.75%, and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the ZIP at 12.9%. Matoaca Middle shows a striking split: 100% proficiency in 7th grade Algebra I, but just 23.86% in on-grade-level 8th grade math and 36.97% in 8th grade science. The Petersburg elementary schools are in severe distress, with 5th grade math proficiency ranging from 19.15% at Lakemont Elementary to 35.42% at Cool Spring Elementary.

Chronic absenteeism tracks achievement: Pleasants Lane Elementary has a 44.2% chronic absenteeism rate — three times the state average — and some of the lowest proficiency scores, while the strongest schools have the lowest absenteeism. Spending and class size do not explain the gap: Petersburg schools actually have slightly smaller classes (13.1 versus 13.9 students per teacher) and Pleasants Lane spends the most per student at $12,686, yet outcomes are dramatically lower. Families in this ZIP code face a stark choice between two districts. Chesterfield's schools show that high-poverty schools can succeed, while Petersburg's schools demonstrate the urgent need for intervention around attendance and academic support.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SOL Geometry (2026)	SOL Algebra I (2026)		SOL Mathematics (2026)						SOL Science (2026)		SOL Earth Science (2026)	SOL English Reading (2026)						SOL World History I (2026)	SOL Civics and Economics (2026)	SOL VA Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Geometry 8th Grade	SOL Algebra I 7th Grade	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL Earth Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL World History I 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 8th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central St. Hosp. Education Pr.	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	Bldg 114	Petersburg	23803	Petersburg city	Central State Hospital	No	No	No	No	(804) 524-7676																			(n/a)
Southside Va Training Center	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	Warehouse West Washington St	Petersburg	23803	Petersburg city	Southside Virginia Training Center	No	No	No	No	(804) 524-7340																			(n/a)
Ettrick Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20910 Chesterfield Ave.	South Chesterfield	23803	Petersburg city	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 520-6005	560	43	13.0	75.2%	104 (18.6%)	358 (63.9%)	64 (11.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.4%)	60.4	470^th of 1111 public elementary schools	57.7%		49.3	606^th of 1110 public elementary schools	45.4%	136				79.1	79.1	85.9				70.9			70.7	75.9	72.1						70.7	$10,664	$1,492	$9,173
Matoaca Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20300 Halloway Avenue	South Chesterfield	23803	Petersburg city	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 590-3100	676	49	13.6	76.5%	348 (51.5%)	206 (30.5%)	80 (11.8%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.3%)	47.3	648^th of 1111 public elementary schools	41.7%		55.3	539^th of 1110 public elementary schools	51.4%	109				63.8	65.5	82.7				83.6			56.6	69.0	82.7						59.1	$8,467	$500	$7,966
Matoaca Middle	Public	6-8	6001 Hickory Road	South Chesterfield	23803	Petersburg city	Chesterfield County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(804) 590-3130	775	52	14.9	76.3%	333 (43.0%)	324 (41.8%)	65 (8.4%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (5.8%)	33.2	318^th of 416 public middle schools	23.6%		19.4	374^th of 419 public middle schools	10.7%	56	90.9	100.0	80.4				63.0	46.5	23.9		37.0	77.1				75.3	68.8	68.5	≥ 50%	64.0		$8,561	$223	$8,338
Pleasants Lane Elementary	Public	K-5	100 Pleasants Lane	Petersburg	23803	Petersburg city	Petersburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 862-7013	493	39	12.6	93.1%	15 (3.0%)	382 (77.5%)	82 (16.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (2.0%)	1.3	1104^th of 1111 public elementary schools	0.6%		1.5	1103^rd of 1110 public elementary schools	0.6%	1				44.8	29.1	22.1				25.9			34.9	31.8	45.7						32.6	$12,686	$4,777	$7,909
Lakemont Elementary	Public	K-5	51 Gibbons St	Petersburg	23803	Petersburg city	Petersburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 862-7007	393	33	11.9	93.6%	17 (4.3%)	285 (72.5%)	81 (20.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	1.3	1105^th of 1111 public elementary schools	0.5%		1.1	1107^th of 1110 public elementary schools	0.3%	2				30.1	50.0	19.2				25.5			21.9	38.9	34.0						31.5	$8,675	$1,541	$7,134
Cool Spring Elementary	Public	K-5	1450 Talley Avenue	Petersburg	23803	Petersburg city	Petersburg City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(804) 862-7002	540	37	14.5	94.3%	22 (4.1%)	461 (85.4%)	47 (8.7%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1	1109^th of 1111 public elementary schools	0.2%		1.3	1105^th of 1110 public elementary schools	0.5%	4				37.2	31.3	35.4				34.4			24.4	37.8	39.6						26.5	$5,417	$948	$4,469

Cities Near Zip Code 23803

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Petersburg	0.38 mi	11	360^th
South Chesterfield	2.27 mi	4	185^th
Colonial Heights	3.83 mi	6	215^th
Chesterfield	4.43 mi	14	270^th
Sutherland	5.24 mi	1	330^th

See the top VA Virginia cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.