Schools in Zip Code 24243

Zip code 24243, serving the Dryden, Virginia area, contains exactly one school: Dryden Elementary, a PK–5 public school within Lee County Public Schools. As the only school in the zip code, it automatically stands out, but its profile offers several meaningful points for parents. The school serves 237 students with a favorable 11.2:1 student-teacher ratio, and an overwhelming 86% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite this high poverty concentration, Dryden Elementary posts a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.6%—less than half the state average of 14.8%—suggesting strong family engagement and a supportive learning environment.

Academically, Dryden Elementary shows a clear strength in early reading. In 2024–2025, third-grade reading proficiency reached 81.08%, well above the district’s 66.02% and the state’s 66.93%; the following year it remained above state averages at 74.42% versus 67.61%. Math tells a different story, with proficiency declining sharply as students advance. In 2025–2026, math proficiency fell from 74.42% in third grade to 62.16% in fourth and 59.52% in fifth—while the school outperformed its district in third grade, it lagged noticeably in upper grades. The weakest subjects are 4th-grade Virginia Studies (50% proficient versus 70.52% statewide) and 5th-grade Science (53.66% versus 68.75%). While the school beat its district in science, the gap to the state remains large.

Dryden Elementary’s statewide rank has slipped steadily, from the 48th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 32nd percentile in 2025–2026, even as it maintains a consistent 2-star rating. This suggests other Virginia schools are improving faster. Notably, Lee County Public Schools ranks at the 52nd percentile statewide, meaning Dryden sits below its district's overall performance—likely one of the lower-performing elementary schools in the county. For parents, the picture is mixed: a caring, low-absenteeism school with strong early reading and small classes, but one that needs targeted support in upper-grade math, science, and Virginia Studies to reverse its downward trajectory.