Schools in Zip Code 24248

Zip code 24248, serving the Ewing area of Virginia, contains two public schools in Lee County Public Schools: Thomas Walker High (grades 8–12, 291 students) and Elydale Middle (grades 5–7, 133 students). Both schools serve very high-poverty populations, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and the district overall ranks 63rd out of 131 Virginia districts.

Elydale Middle is the clear standout in this zip code. It ranks 62nd out of 416 Virginia middle schools (85th percentile) with a 4-star rating, a significant improvement from the 62nd percentile just two years ago. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 1.5%, compared to 7.9% for the district and 14.8% for the state. Academically, Elydale outperforms Virginia averages in 6th and 7th grade reading (about 88% proficient vs. 73% statewide) and math (about 76–78% vs. 51–63% statewide). However, 5th grade math and science lag the state, with science proficiency at 50% vs. 68.75% statewide.

Thomas Walker High is a more mixed picture. Its ranking has been volatile, moving from the 47th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 80th in 2024–2025, then back to the 44th in 2025–2026; with only 291 students, a single grade cohort can have an outsized effect on results. Bright spots include 100% proficiency in 8th-grade Algebra I, 78.85% in 10th-grade Biology, a 90.7% graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism of 6.3%, less than half the state rate. Weaknesses include 8th-grade science (38.33% vs. 64.72% statewide) and 9th-grade Algebra I (77.78%, below both district and state averages). Because Thomas Walker High serves grades 8–12, its 8th-grade results — both the strong math and the weak science — are attributed to the high school rather than the middle school, making direct comparisons between the two schools less straightforward.