Best High Schools in Zip Code 24219

Zip code 24219 contains one high school, Union High in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, serving grades 9 through 12 with 564 students in the Wise County Public Schools district. This single school is a notable standout: it ranks 24th out of 331 Virginia high schools (top 7%) with a 5-star rating, up sharply from 55th just two years ago. Despite 90.6% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, Union High posts a 98% graduation rate and a 1.3% dropout rate—both far better than state averages (92.3% and 5.0%, respectively). Chronic absenteeism sits at 14.4%, slightly better than the state’s 14.8% but still affecting about one in seven students.

On SOL tests, Union High outperforms the state in five of six subjects. The largest advantages come in Biology (+20.2 points), Writing (+16.7 points), and World History I (+14.2 points). Eleventh-grade Writing proficiency is an impressive 96.63%, and English Reading is 93.39%. Algebra I (88.37%) also beats the state average by 8.2 points, while Algebra II (93.88%) is essentially at the state level. Year over year, most subjects improved, with World History I jumping 6.3 points and English Reading gaining 4.1 points. However, math is a relative weakness: Union High trails its own district by about 5 points in both Algebra I and Algebra II, suggesting this is the area with the most room for growth.

For parents, the bottom line is that Union High delivers strong academic results and excellent graduation outcomes in a high-poverty setting. Its district is ranked 2nd out of 131 in Virginia, and Union High holds its own even within that high-performing system. The school’s rapid upward trajectory in state rankings, combined with standout Biology and Writing scores, points to effective instruction and support. The main watch item is chronic absenteeism, and the most promising target for improvement is mathematics. With only one high school in the zip code, families in this area have a clear, high-quality local option that is trending strongly upward.