Best Public Schools in Zip Code 24171

Zip code 24171 encompasses Stuart, Virginia, and is served by two public schools in Patrick County Public Schools — Patrick County High (grades 8–12, 795 students) and Stuart Elementary (grades PK–7, 361 students) — for a combined enrollment of 1,156 students, with no separate middle school in the area. The district is ranked 10th out of 131 Virginia districts, placing it in the 92nd percentile with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Patrick County High is the clear standout, ranking 23rd out of 331 Virginia high schools (93rd percentile, 5 stars) for 2025–2026, up from 43rd the prior year. It posts a 96.2% graduation rate versus the state's 92.3%, a 1.8% dropout rate versus 5.0% statewide, and outstanding math and science scores, including 100% proficiency in Earth Science, 97.44% in 8th grade Algebra I, and 95.12% in 9th grade Algebra I. The one weak spot is Geography at 64.52% proficiency, below the state average of 72.24%. Stuart Elementary is solidly above average, ranking 313th of 1,111 elementary schools (72nd percentile, 4 stars), and improved sharply from the 59th percentile in one year. Its 6th grade math proficiency of 93.18% is 30 points above the state average, and chronic absenteeism is just 9.1% versus 14.8% statewide.

Both schools serve high-poverty populations — 79.37% free/reduced lunch at Patrick County High and 89.75% at Stuart Elementary — yet outperform Virginia averages on most measures. At the high school, advanced math students vastly outperform the general track: 97.44% proficiency in 8th grade Algebra I versus 62.86% in general 8th grade math. Notably, per-student spending is lower at the higher-poverty school, $8,216 at Stuart Elementary versus $10,301 at Patrick County High, a reflection of the specialized staffing and facilities high schools require. Because Stuart Elementary serves through 7th grade and Patrick County High begins at 8th grade, 8th grade test scores at the high school come from students in their first year of high school, an important context when comparing these schools to others.