Best High Schools in Zip Code 24426

ZIP code 24426 is served by a single high school, Alleghany High, which enrolls grades 9–12 in the Alleghany Highlands Public Schools district in Covington, Virginia. Alleghany High holds a low overall state ranking, sitting in the bottom 13th percentile of Virginia high schools, while its district ranks near the middle of the state — suggesting the high school is a relatively weak link in an otherwise mid-performing district. The school faces substantial challenges: about 82% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the chronic absenteeism rate of 36.5% is more than double the state average of 14.8%. The graduation rate of 87.8% trails the state’s 92.3%, and the dropout rate of 5.3% is slightly above the state average.

Despite these struggles, Alleghany High shows genuine academic bright spots. In 2025–2026, 9th graders posted strong results in Geometry (87.5% proficient vs. 85.9% statewide) and Earth Science (85.1% vs. 74.8% statewide). In 2024–2025, 12th graders exceeded state averages in English Reading (90.6% vs. 66.6%), Writing (65.1% vs. 58.7%), and Biology (80.0% vs. 76.1%). However, persistent weaknesses appear in social studies and math. World History I proficiency for 9th graders was just 27.3% in 2025–2026, a staggering 45-point gap from the state’s 72.2%, and Algebra I proficiency for 10th graders was 50.9% in 2025–2026 and 41.7% the prior year, both far below state averages. Virginia/U.S. History proficiency for 11th graders was also low at 25.0%.

Some scores are highly volatile between school years, likely reflecting small class sizes and cohort effects — 12th-grade English Reading dropped from 90.6% proficient in 2024–2025 to 51.2% in 2025–2026, while 9th-grade Earth Science improved from 47.6% to 85.1% in the same period. The student–teacher ratio is a favorable 13.6 to 1, which could support more individualized instruction, but the current results suggest this resource is not yet translating into consistent academic gains. For parents, the key picture is a school with clear strengths in certain science and senior-year English subjects, but with urgent needs around reducing chronic absenteeism, improving math and history instruction, and stabilizing year-to-year performance.