Summary:
Zip code 24282 (Saint Charles, Virginia) is served by just one school: St. Charles Elementary, a public elementary school covering grades PK–5 within Lee County Public Schools. With no middle or high schools in the immediate area, families seeking grades 6–12 would need to attend schools outside this zip code, but for elementary education, St. Charles stands out as a strong and distinctive option.
St. Charles Elementary consistently outperforms its district in nearly every subject and grade level, and often exceeds Virginia state averages. In the most recent year, 4th grade reading proficiency reached 92.86% and 4th grade Virginia Studies hit 100%, both far above state figures. Mathematics scores also remain solid, with 4th grade math at 85.71% and 3rd grade math at 76.92%. The school’s 5th grade science proficiency of 59.09% is above the district’s 47.64% but below the state’s 68.75%, making science the clearest area for improvement. The 4th grade cohort appears especially strong, posting the highest scores across both math and reading in consecutive years. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 2.2%, compared to 7.9% for the district and 14.8% for the state, which likely contributes to academic success.
Notably, St. Charles achieves these results while serving a high-poverty population—82.73% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch—and with a favorable student–teacher ratio of 9.5. The school’s state ranking, however, has declined in recent years: from 127th (89th percentile) in 2023–2024 to 407th (63rd percentile) in 2025–2026, though it remains above the statewide median. With only 110 students enrolled, grade-level cohorts are tiny, so percentages should be interpreted cautiously, yet the consistent strength in reading, math, and Virginia Studies, combined with exceptional attendance, makes St. Charles Elementary a high-performing school worth consideration for families in the area.
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