Best Public Schools in Zip Code 24301

Zip code 24301 is served by four schools in the Pulaski County Public Schools district, covering Pre-K through 8th grade with no high schools in the area, and all traditional schools serve a high-poverty population with roughly 91% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. The schools include Pulaski County Middle, the Pulaski County Public Schools Virtual School K-12, Pulaski Elementary, and Critzer Elementary. Despite similar poverty levels, academic outcomes vary considerably across these schools.

Critzer Elementary is the clear academic leader, ranking in the 51st percentile with 73.1% average SOL proficiency — the highest in the zip code. It also has the best attendance (4.8% chronic absenteeism), the lowest student-teacher ratio (11.5), and the highest spending per student ($9,346). Pulaski Elementary is a solid mid-tier option with 67.9% average proficiency and moderate absenteeism (11.6%). Pulaski County Middle ranks in the 38th percentile with 67.4% average proficiency, and its standout result is 100% proficiency in 8th-grade Algebra I in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. However, it struggles with 21.7% chronic absenteeism — roughly 4.5 times Critzer's rate — making attendance a likely intervention priority. The Pulaski County Public Schools Virtual School K-12 is the most unusual, ranking in the 11th percentile with 54.2% average proficiency but posting the zip code's best upper-grade reading scores (79.5% and 79.6% in 7th and 8th grade).

Several takeaways matter for parents. First, chronic absenteeism tracks performance closely: Critzer has the lowest absenteeism and highest achievement, while the middle school has the highest absenteeism and the weakest overall traditional-school scores. Second, Algebra I perfection does not mean overall math mastery — the middle school scored just 52.9% proficient in 8th-grade math overall, suggesting Algebra I is taken by a select group of advanced students. Third, 4th-grade Virginia Studies is a common weakness, with all elementary schools scoring below the state average. Finally, with no high schools in the zip code, students must transition to schools outside 24301 for grades 9-12, creating a natural break in educational continuity.