Summary:
The 24134 zip code area is home to one high school, Giles High, which serves grades 8 through 12 in Pearisburg, Virginia. This school, part of Giles County Public Schools, enrolls about 530 students and has a student-teacher ratio of 11.1 to 1, which is quite favorable for personalized attention. Two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage, yet the school still graduates students at a rate of 93.3%, slightly above the state average. The biggest concern is a dramatic ranking decline: the school fell from 44th in Virginia (87th percentile) in 2023-2024 to 215th (35th percentile) in 2025-2026.
Chronic absenteeism appears to be a major red flag, with 25.5% of students chronically absent—more than double the district average of 11.5% and nearly double the state average of 14.8%. Dropout rates are also slightly higher than the district and state. In terms of academics, results are mixed. There are bright spots: 12th grade reading and writing both hit 100% proficiency in recent years, and 8th grade Algebra I also reached 100% proficiency in 2025-2026, matching the district and exceeding the state. Biology scores in 10th grade (79.8%) are also above both district and state averages. However, many middle-level subjects lag behind, including 8th grade science, Earth Science, 9th grade Algebra I, and 11th grade reading, all of which fell below state averages in 2025-2026.
Comparing year over year, several scores have slipped significantly, such as Earth Science dropping from 85.44% to 63.3%, and World History I falling from 82.86% to 67.89%. On the positive side, 8th grade math and reading improved but still remain near or below state norms. For parents, this school offers strong upper-level English performance and a low student-teacher ratio, but attendance and early high school math and science need attention. With economic challenges affecting two-thirds of the student body, targeted interventions for attendance and core academic support could help reverse the ranking trend and build on the school’s existing strengths in Algebra I and 12th grade English.
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