Summary:
Zip code 24312, serving the Austinville, VA area, is home to two public elementary schools—Jackson Memorial Elementary and Laurel Elementary—both spanning grades PK–5 and serving predominantly low-income student populations, with free/reduced lunch eligibility rates above 81% at each school.
Jackson Memorial is the clear academic leader in this area. It outscores Laurel in nearly every subject and year, with average SOL proficiency of 74.1% in 2024–2025 and 72.7% in 2025–2026, compared to Laurel's 69.2% and 67.8%. The gap is especially visible in math, where Jackson led by 7–8 percentage points both years. Jackson also has a dramatically lower chronic absenteeism rate of 4.6% versus Laurel's 10.1%, despite spending about $508 less per student and having a slightly higher student–teacher ratio. Interestingly, 5th-grade science proficiency dropped sharply at both schools—Jackson fell from 75.0% to 59.3%, while Laurel fell from 74.3% to 64.7%—making science the weakest subject in 2025–2026. On a positive note, 4th-grade Virginia Studies scores improved substantially at both schools, with Jackson jumping from 56.7% to 75.0% and Laurel from 58.8% to 70.8%.
District context helps explain some of the difference: Jackson belongs to Wythe County Public Schools, ranked 13th in Virginia, while Laurel is part of Carroll County Public Schools, ranked 49th. However, both schools have slipped in statewide percentile rankings over the past three years—Jackson from the 61st to 50th percentile, and Laurel from the 58th to 36th. Laurel's higher spending and slightly smaller class sizes have not translated into stronger results, suggesting that attendance, poverty concentration, and district effectiveness matter more than resources alone. For parents, the standout choice is clearly Jackson Memorial, but both schools face challenges around declining science performance and shifting statewide rankings.
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