Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 24013

Zip code 24013 in Roanoke, Virginia, contains a single middle school, John P. Fishwick Middle, serving grades 6–8 with an enrollment of 456 students. The school operates within the Roanoke City Public Schools district and faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with 97.59% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 32.8%—more than double the state average of 14.8%. Despite a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.5:1 and per-student spending of $11,234, the school ranks in the bottom fifth of Virginia middle schools, moving from the 9th percentile in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 to the 16th percentile in 2025-2026 (1 star out of 5).

Academically, John P. Fishwick Middle presents a striking two-tiered profile. The school excels in advanced coursework, with 100% proficiency rates in 7th-grade Algebra I, 8th-grade Algebra I, 8th-grade Earth Science, and 7th-grade Civics & Economics in 2025-2026, often matching or exceeding state averages. However, on-grade-level performance lags significantly, particularly in mathematics: only 18.82% of 7th graders and 33.72% of 6th graders scored proficient, far below state averages of 51.11% and 63.19%, respectively. English reading proficiency ranges from about 54% to 65%, trailing the state average by roughly 8–20 points. The school consistently outperforms its district in nearly every subject and grade, yet remains below statewide benchmarks in most standard courses.

Year-over-year changes from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026 show both encouraging gains and concerning declines. Science proficiency jumped from 38.8% to 52.3%, 8th-grade reading rose from 55.2% to 65.1%, and Geometry improved from 84.2% to 94.4%. However, on-grade-level math dropped sharply, with 6th-grade math falling 17 points and 7th-grade math falling 11 points. These declines are red flags for a school already struggling in this area. The ability to produce exceptional results in advanced courses and recent improvements in science and reading indicate that targeted instruction can work, but the broader challenge remains raising proficiency for the majority of students in regular grade-level courses while addressing chronic absenteeism and the effects of high poverty.