Summary:
There is just one middle school in zip code 24179: William Byrd Middle in Vinton, Virginia, serving grades 6 through 8 with 802 students as part of Roanoke County Public Schools. The district is ranked 11th out of 131 districts in Virginia (92nd percentile, 5 stars), but the school itself sits near the middle of the state, ranked 205th out of 416 schools in the 2025–2026 school year (51st percentile, 3 stars), down from the 64th percentile the prior year. About 67% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and chronic absenteeism is 14.7% — right at the state average but well above the district's 9.4%.
William Byrd Middle's biggest strength is advanced math. Students earn 100% proficiency in 8th-grade Geometry and 7th-grade Algebra I on the 2025–2026 SOL assessments, and 96.1% proficiency in 8th-grade Algebra I — all far above state averages. Reading results are also solid in the earlier grades, with 6th-grade reading at 78.6% and 7th-grade reading at 77.04%, both above the state average. The school's student-teacher ratio of 13.7 and per-student spending of $8,892 are additional context for parents.
The challenges are concentrated in 8th grade. Only 46.94% of 8th graders are proficient in standard Mathematics, barely matching the state average and well below the district's 71.67%. Science (60.96%) and Civics & Economics (65.98%) also trail both district and state averages. Compared to the prior year, proficiency declined in 8th-grade math, reading, science, civics, and 6th-grade math. For parents, this is a school that clearly excels at accelerating top math students but struggles with the broader 8th-grade population and attendance concerns.
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