Best Public Schools in Zip Code 24122

ZIP code 24122 contains just one school, Montvale Elementary, a PK-5 elementary school in Bedford County Public Schools serving 252 students and acting as the sole educational anchor for the area. Because there are no middle or high schools in the ZIP code, families must leave the area once students reach grade 6, making this elementary school especially important to the community. Montvale Elementary is a median-performing school in Virginia, ranking 555th out of 1,111 schools (50th percentile) with a 3-star rating for 2025-2026, up from a 2-star rating and the 37th percentile the previous year.

Montvale Elementary's academics tell a tale of two grade bands. Third grade is a clear bright spot, with math at 81 percent proficient and reading at 76 percent, both above state averages, while 4th-grade VA Studies stands out at 85 percent. Fifth grade is the concern, however: reading at 64 percent, math at 67 percent, and science at 67 percent all fall below both district and state averages. The school made strong gains this year, lifting 3rd-grade reading by over 18 percentage points and improving its overall proficiency by about 6.5 points, while the district and state remained essentially flat. These gains mean Montvale Elementary is closing the gap with Bedford County Public Schools while pulling further ahead of the state average.

The biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism. Montvale Elementary reports an 18.5 percent chronic absenteeism rate, well above the district's 11.8 percent and the state's 14.8 percent. The free/reduced lunch rate is reported at roughly 102 percent, indicating essentially the entire student population qualifies for economic support and making Montvale Elementary a high-poverty school. Attendance is often one of the strongest levers for improving outcomes in such schools, and the 5th-grade struggles may be partly related to this pattern. Montvale Elementary spends $9,847 per student with a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio, suggesting moderate resources and reasonably manageable class sizes. Its district, Bedford County Public Schools, is a strong 4-star district ranked 35th out of 131 in Virginia, placing it in the 73rd percentile statewide.