Summary:
ZIP code 24162 is served by a single school, Shawsville Middle, which enrolls 193 students in grades 6 through 8. This is a high-poverty school, with nearly 85% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, a rate far above most Virginia schools.
The school presents a mixed academic profile. Students taking advanced coursework perform exceptionally well: 8th graders scored 100% proficiency in Algebra I and 90% in Earth Science, matching or exceeding state averages. However, most other subjects lag significantly. For example, 8th-grade general science proficiency was just 13.33% compared to the 64.72% state average, and 8th-grade mathematics proficiency was 28.57% versus 46.86% statewide. Overall, Shawsville Middle ranks 363rd out of 416 Virginia middle schools, placing it in the bottom 13% and earning a 1-star rating. Its district, Montgomery County Public Schools, ranks in the 61st percentile statewide, meaning Shawsville significantly underperforms compared to other schools in the same district.
Two additional factors stand out. First, chronic absenteeism is 23.4%, more than 1.5 times the state average of 14.8%, which likely impacts learning. Second, while the student-teacher ratio of 7.5-to-1 is favorable, outcomes remain low, suggesting challenges beyond class size. There is some encouraging news: 7th-grade reading and math proficiency improved by roughly 26 to 28 percentage points in 2025-2026, while 8th-grade reading, math, and civics declined by 12 to 20 points. Because the school is small, these swings can be volatile, but the 7th-grade gains offer hope that interventions may be taking hold.
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