Schools in Zip Code 24121

ZIP code 24121 in Moneta, Virginia is served by three schools in the Bedford County Public Schools district — Staunton River High (grades 9–12, 816 students), Staunton River Middle (grades 6–8, 612 students), and Moneta Elementary (grades PK–5, 218 students) — a feeder pattern totaling about 1,646 students in a district rated 4 stars and ranked 35th out of 131 Virginia districts.

Performance across these three schools varies dramatically. Moneta Elementary is the standout, earning 4 stars and ranking in the 78th percentile of Virginia elementary schools, with proficiency rates far above state averages — including 96.3% in 3rd-grade math, 93.1% in 4th-grade VA Studies, and 84.9% in 5th-grade reading — all while serving a student body where 87.2% qualify for free/reduced lunch. Staunton River Middle earns 3 stars at the 50th percentile, excelling in accelerated math (100% proficiency in 7th-grade Algebra I and 8th-grade Geometry) but showing mixed results in grade-level math and reading, alongside a concerning 19.6% chronic absenteeism rate. Staunton River High is the weakest performer, holding just 1 star at the 22nd percentile, with a graduation rate of 89.6%, a 6.2% dropout rate, and large proficiency gaps in early high school courses like World History I (29.7% vs. 72.2% statewide).

Several patterns stand out. Higher poverty does not automatically mean lower performance: both the elementary and middle schools have roughly 87% free/reduced lunch eligibility, yet the elementary school far exceeds state averages while the high school — with a lower poverty rate of 72.7% — lags behind. Chronic absenteeism is also inverted across the feeder pattern, spiking to 19.6% at the middle school versus 11.3% at the elementary and just 6.3% at the high school. Spending per student is relatively uniform ($8,834 to $9,350), so funding differences do not explain the academic gaps. Notably, Moneta Elementary has improved rapidly from the 53rd percentile in 2023–24 to the 78th percentile in 2025–26, and the high school shows a two-tier profile: strong 11th- and 12th-grade results (93.8% reading proficiency) but weak freshman and sophomore coursework, suggesting early high school transitions deserve attention.