Summary:
Zip code 24149 (Riner, Virginia) is served by a single public high school, Auburn High, which enrolls 393 students across grades 9–12 as part of Montgomery County Public Schools. Auburn High stands out as a small, well-resourced school with a favorable 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio and per-student spending of $12,984, and it posts a graduation rate of 95.9%—beating both the district (93.8%) and state (92.3%). The school’s dropout rate is 4.0%, equal to the district and below the state’s 5.0%, while chronic absenteeism (13.2%) is slightly better than state and district averages.
Academically, Auburn High shines in early acceleration and several SOL subject areas. In 2025–2026, 9th graders achieved perfect 100% proficiency in both Algebra II and Biology, and 9th-grade Algebra I proficiency reached 89.09%—all above state averages. Tenth-grade Biology improved to 78.43%, well above the state’s 68.86%, and 11th-grade Reading improved to 87.5%. However, there are areas to watch: 9th-grade Earth Science proficiency is 67.61%, below the state’s 74.79%, and 11th-grade Writing, though improved sharply from 60.38% to 76.54%, still trails the state’s 79.89%. A notable concern is Geometry, which fell from a perfect 100% to 77.27% in one year. Despite these bright spots, the school’s state accountability rank has been volatile, moving from 68th (2023–24) to 210th (2024–25) before recovering to 172nd (2025–26)—likely reflecting factors beyond test scores, such as growth and subgroup outcomes.
With 40.97% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, Auburn High serves a community with moderate economic need, yet its strong staffing ratio and competitive spending appear to support individualized attention and excellent graduation outcomes. The mix of near-perfect advanced course results with some inconsistent grade-level scores paints a picture of a school where high-performing accelerated cohorts thrive, while broader student groups still show room for growth. For parents, Auburn High offers a solid, supportive learning environment, particularly for students ready for early math and science coursework, but it would benefit from reinforcing consistent performance in Geometry, Earth Science, and Writing.
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