Best Public Schools in Zip Code 24124

Zip code 24124 in Narrows, Virginia is served by two schools in the Giles County Public Schools district: Narrows Elementary/Middle (grades PK–7, 514 students) and Narrows High (grades 8–12, 300 students). Both schools earn 3-star ratings and rank at the 58th percentile in Virginia, outperforming the district’s overall 2-star rating and 40th-percentile rank.

Parents will find that Narrows High is a particular bright spot, with a graduation rate of 93.5% and a dropout rate of 3.2% – both better than state averages – despite nearly 70% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The high school shows exceptional strength in World History I, where 10th graders score 83.3% proficient versus 52.3% statewide, and 8th graders hit 100% proficiency. Algebra I for 8th graders is also perfect, and middle-grade math (6th, 7th, and 8th) is consistently above state levels across both schools. Narrows Elementary/Middle is strong in 4th grade Virginia Studies (85.7% vs. 70.5% statewide) and 6th grade math (74.6% vs. 63.2% statewide). The high school also excels in 11th grade reading, while the elementary/middle school’s 6th grade reading is solid. However, there are some concerns: 7th grade civics at the elementary/middle school plummeted from 75.4% to just 33.3% proficiency, and 7th and 8th grade reading lag state averages by about 10 and 4 points, respectively.

Chronic absenteeism is the weakest shared metric, at about 17–18% for both schools, well above the state’s 14.8% and the district’s 11.5%. That said, both schools achieve strong academic results despite high economic disadvantage and above-average absenteeism. They also benefit from relatively small class sizes, especially at the high school, which has a 10.7 student-teacher ratio and spends about $1,500 more per student than the elementary school. Overall, these are two solid, improving schools within a lower-ranked district, with the high school showing a clear upward trend in state ranking and star rating over the past three years. The elementary/middle school is more uneven, with bright spots in math and social studies but a notable civics drop that may warrant attention.