Summary:
Zip code 24401 in Staunton, Virginia is served by two public middle schools—Shelburne Middle and Riverheads Middle—both covering grades 6 through 8.
Riverheads Middle currently ranks higher overall, placing 127th out of 416 Virginia middle schools (69th percentile) compared to Shelburne Middle’s 199th place (52nd percentile). Riverheads also posts stronger proficiency rates in most subjects, including 7th and 8th grade reading, 7th and 8th grade math, 8th grade science, and civics. Both schools achieve 100% proficiency in Algebra I, and Shelburne also reports 100% in Geometry. However, Shelburne’s general math proficiency lags at 56% for both 7th and 8th grades, while Riverheads earns 69.77% and 59.41% respectively. This suggests Shelburne’s advanced math students perform exceptionally well, but many students in regular math classes struggle. Notably, Shelburne belongs to the much higher-ranked Staunton City Public Schools (25th of 131 districts), while Riverheads is part of Augusta County Public Schools (75th), showing that district reputation does not guarantee school-level success.
Chronic absenteeism and economic disadvantage help explain the differences. Shelburne has a 19.0% chronic absenteeism rate versus 13.8% at Riverheads, and 84.05% of Shelburne students receive free or reduced lunch compared to 60.11% at Riverheads. Despite spending $10,775 per student, Shelburne trails Riverheads in achievement. Both schools still outperform Virginia state averages in most subjects, with Shelburne’s only slight shortfalls being 6th and 7th grade reading. Year-over-year, Shelburne improved in several math and reading areas, while Riverheads saw declines in 8th grade math and science. For parents, Riverheads is the stronger overall choice academically, while Shelburne offers an exceptional advanced math track but faces attendance and poverty challenges that impact many students.
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