Summary:
Zip code 24527 is home to just one school, Southside Elementary, a PK-5 elementary school in Blairs, VA, serving 428 students within Pittsylvania County Public Schools, a district ranked 23rd out of 131 districts in Virginia. With no middle or high schools in this zip code, all local education focuses on this single elementary school, making it the central point of interest for families in the area.
Southside Elementary has a strong history of academic performance, earning 4- and 5-star ratings with statewide rankings in the top 10-15% in recent years. In 2025-2026, its 4th graders achieved a perfect 100% proficiency in math and 98.28% in reading on the Virginia SOL tests, while 5th graders posted 92.86% in math and 90% in reading. Science and Virginia Studies scores also exceeded district and state averages. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 83.64% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, yet it continues to outperform broader averages. Its chronic absenteeism rate is just 3.9%, far below the district's 14.3% and the state's 14.8%, and the student-teacher ratio sits at a favorable 12.9.
The main concern for the school is a significant drop in 3rd grade proficiency in 2025-2026. Reading fell from 83.64% to 62.07% and math fell from 81.82% to 67.24%, putting 3rd graders below district and state averages. This decline likely explains the school's drop from 77th to 265th in the statewide rankings. However, the strong contrast between 3rd grade and the excellent 4th and 5th grade results suggests that students tend to make substantial gains as they progress through the school. If 3rd grade performance recovers, Southside Elementary could easily return to the top tier of Virginia elementary schools.
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