Summary:
Zip code 24179 in Vinton, Virginia, is served by a single high school — William Byrd High — which enrolls 1,134 students in grades 9 through 12 as part of the highly rated Roanoke County Public Schools, a district ranked 11th out of 131 in Virginia with a 5-star rating.
William Byrd High is a solidly mid-tier school inside a top-tier district, showing a clear mix of academic strengths and warning signs. Its strongest area is advanced math: 9th graders scored 100% proficient on the Algebra II SOL in both 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, beating the district and state, while Geometry (88%) and Algebra I (85%) also exceeded state averages. Earth Science (81.6%) and World History I (86.5%) were similarly strong. However, the school’s ranking has slipped from the 71st percentile in 2023-2024 to the 56th percentile in 2025-2026. The dropout rate stands at 6.0% — nearly double the district’s 3.5% — and the graduation rate of 91.7% trails both the district (94.8%) and state (92.3%).
Several metrics deserve attention. Chronic absenteeism at 14.3% matches the state average but is well above the district’s 9.4%, suggesting a local attendance challenge. Biology results are inconsistent by grade: 10th graders beat the state at 71.1%, but 9th graders posted just 50% proficiency versus 86.1% statewide. VA & US History proficiency is low at 32%, though the district is even lower at 17.6%. A positive outlier appeared in 2024-2025 when 10th graders scored 90% on English Reading, far exceeding district and state. With 37.65% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, the school serves a moderately diverse economic population. Overall, William Byrd High offers a standout math program but faces urgent challenges in attendance, retention, and 9th-grade science performance.
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