Summary:
ZIP code 24477 (Stuarts Draft, VA) is home to two elementary schools—Stuarts Draft Elementary and Guy K. Stump Elementary—both serving grades PK–5 within Augusta County Public Schools. For the most recent school year, Guy K. Stump is the standout performer, having improved dramatically from a 29th-percentile ranking in 2024–2025 to a 43rd-percentile ranking in 2025–2026, while Stuarts Draft slipped from the 51st percentile to the 38th. GKS also leads in overall SOL proficiency (70.4% vs. 68.8%), has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (11.5% vs. 13.7%), and achieves these results with slightly less per-student spending and a more favorable student-teacher ratio.
Both schools serve high-poverty populations, with roughly two-thirds of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch, yet they post different results. GKS’s overall proficiency jumped from 63.1% to 70.4% in one year, driven by massive gains in 5th-grade math (50.0% to 75.4%) and science (53.9% to 72.3%). In contrast, SDE saw its overall average drop from 72.4% to 68.8%, with notable declines in the same 5th-grade subjects. SDE remains the larger school (646 vs. 457 students) and had the stronger prior-year record, but GKS has clearly overtaken it in the most recent data.
A shared strength is 3rd-grade math, where both schools consistently outperform the state average—SDE at 81.6% and GKS at 79.4% in 2025–2026. However, GKS struggles in 4th-grade math (63.0% vs. state 73.3%), and both schools fall below state averages in 3rd- and 5th-grade reading. GKS’s 4th-grade reading (75.7%) stands out as a bright spot. Both schools also beat the district and state in chronic absenteeism, with GKS’s 11.5% rate suggesting that better attendance may support its academic momentum. For parents, GKS is currently the stronger choice, while SDE’s size and past performance make it a school to watch for a possible rebound.
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