Summary:
Zip code 24531 in Chatham, Virginia, is home to four public schools within Pittsylvania County Public Schools, a 4-star district ranked 23rd out of 131 districts in Virginia: Chatham High (grades 9–12), Chatham Middle (grades 6–8), Chatham Elementary (PK–5), and Union Hall Elementary (PK–5). All four schools serve high-poverty populations, with free/reduced lunch eligibility between 84.56% and 86.02%, yet three of the four schools rank at or above the 57th percentile statewide.
Union Hall Elementary is the academic standout, ranking 278th out of 1,111 Virginia elementary schools (75th percentile) in 2025–2026 after a spectacular 8th-place finish the prior year; it posted 100% proficiency in 5th-grade math and 96.3% in 5th-grade science. Chatham Middle ranks 71st out of 416 middle schools (83rd percentile) with perfect 100% proficiency in 8th-grade Algebra I for two consecutive years. Chatham High ranks 106th out of 331 high schools (68th percentile) with a 93.9% graduation rate and strong Algebra I, Geometry, reading, and writing scores. Chatham Elementary is the weakest performer, ranking 479th out of 1,111 elementary schools, but showed improvement; its 4th-grade reading and Virginia Studies scores lag well behind district and state averages.
Notable concerns include Chatham High's 22.2% chronic absenteeism rate, far above the state average of 14.8%, while every other school in the zip code is in single digits. The high school also struggles in 9th-grade Biology (50% vs. 86.07% statewide). Elementary schools receive more funding per student ($12,311–$12,554 vs. about $9,200 for secondary schools) and have smaller class sizes. Overall, the schools in 24531 outperform what their economic profile might suggest, with high poverty not preventing top-quartile performance at Union Hall and Chatham Middle; the main areas needing attention are high school attendance and specific subject gaps at Chatham Elementary and Chatham High.
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