Summary:
Zip code 24319 contains one high school, Chilhowie High, which serves grades 9–12 with 384 students in the rural community of Chilhowie, Virginia, as part of Smyth County Public Schools. Because this is the only high school in the zip code, the analysis focuses on how Chilhowie High performs relative to its district, the state of Virginia, and its own recent trends.
Chilhowie High is a standout performer in Virginia. In the 2025–2026 school year, it ranked 31st out of 331 high schools statewide, placing it in the 91st percentile and earning a 5-star rating—up from the 87th percentile and 4 stars the previous two years. The school posts excellent graduation and dropout numbers, with a 98.9% graduation rate and just a 1.0% dropout rate, both far better than the state averages of 92.3% and 5.0%. Academic proficiency in core subjects is strong, with Algebra I at 95.35% proficient, Biology at 88.89%, and English Reading at 96.51%, all well above state averages. However, Geometry is a relative weak spot, with proficiency at 80.39% in 2025–2026, below both the district (84.00%) and state (85.88%), and a sharp decline from the prior year’s 93.62%. Another concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 19.3%, notably higher than the district’s 17.0% and the state’s 14.8%, even though students who attend regularly perform well.
The school serves a student population with very high economic need, reflected in a free/reduced lunch rate that exceeds 100% (likely a data reporting quirk). Despite this challenge, Chilhowie High maintains top-quartile statewide rankings and strong outcomes. Per-student spending is $9,108, and the student–teacher ratio is a favorable 14.2:1. With its rise to a 5-star rating, excellent graduation outcomes, and strong test scores in most subjects, Chilhowie High is clearly succeeding. If it can address chronic absenteeism and provide extra support in Geometry, it is well positioned to keep improving and build on its positive momentum.
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