Summary:
Zip code 23841, located in Dinwiddie, Virginia, is served by four public schools within Dinwiddie County Public Schools, enrolling roughly 2,966 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in a very high-poverty community where about 94% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The district ranks 84th out of 131 Virginia districts, placing it slightly below the statewide midpoint. The four schools are Dinwiddie County High (grades 9-12), Dinwiddie County Middle (grades 6-8), Southside Elementary (PK-5), and Dinwiddie Elementary (PK-5).
Dinwiddie Elementary is the standout school, ranking in the 40th percentile statewide and exceeding Virginia averages in 5th-grade math (79.31% vs. 72.39%) and reading (77.59% vs. 72.42%) despite having the highest poverty rate in the zip code at 95.01%. Southside Elementary improved notably, rising from the 21st to the 32nd percentile, but 5th-grade proficiency still trails the state by roughly 15-18 points in math and reading. The most concerning school is Dinwiddie County Middle, ranked in the 8th percentile with only 16.67% of 7th graders proficient in math versus 51.11% statewide. Dinwiddie County High ranks in the 20th percentile but posts a respectable 91.3% graduation rate and strong 9th-grade biology results (87.43% vs. 86.07% statewide).
Chronic absenteeism rises sharply with grade level, from 14.7% at Southside Elementary to 26.4% at Dinwiddie County High, compared to the 14.8% state average. Per-pupil spending also varies widely, from $10,645 at Dinwiddie County Middle to $16,165 at Dinwiddie Elementary, which may help explain some performance gaps. High poverty alone does not determine outcomes, as Dinwiddie Elementary achieves strong results despite its 95% poverty rate, while the middle school's math scores and the high school's 11th-grade writing proficiency (36.11% vs. 79.89% statewide) highlight clear opportunities for targeted improvement.
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