Best Public Schools in Zip Code 24540

Zip code 24540 in Danville, Virginia contains 5 schools serving approximately 2,301 students in grades PK-12 across two districts: Danville City Public Schools, ranked 116th of 131 districts in Virginia (1 star), and Pittsylvania County Public Schools, ranked 23rd of 131 (4 stars). Poverty rates are high at every school, with free/reduced-price lunch eligibility ranging from 62% to 92% and averaging about 83%. The zip code includes four Danville City schools — Westwood Middle, O. Trent Bonner Middle, Woodberry Hills Elementary, and R.I.S.E Academy at the John M. Langston Campus — plus one Pittsylvania County school, Twin Springs Elementary.

Twin Springs Elementary is the clear academic standout, ranking 334th of 1,111 elementary schools (70th percentile) and beating state averages in nearly every tested subject, with roughly 80% average SOL proficiency despite an 84% poverty rate and the lowest per-student spending in the group ($7,363). O. Trent Bonner Middle is the most-improved middle school, climbing from the 12th to the 28th percentile over two years, with chronic absenteeism of just 2.4% and strong reading and science scores. Its neighbor, Westwood Middle, posts perfect 100% proficiency in Algebra I and II but lags in standard math and science. At the opposite end, R.I.S.E Academy at the John M. Langston Campus ranks last among all 331 Virginia high schools, with a 48.3% graduation rate, a 38.7% dropout rate, 48.9% chronic absenteeism, and single-digit proficiency in most subjects.

Several key takeaways emerge for parents. Higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes: Bonner Middle spends roughly $14,906 per student — double Twin Springs' $7,363 — yet Twin Springs scores far higher. Attendance appears strongly tied to performance, as the lowest-absenteeism school (Bonner) is improving steadily while the highest (R.I.S.E) is in crisis. Woodberry Hills Elementary remains low-performing but is trending upward, jumping from the 3rd to the 19th percentile in two years, with 3rd grade math rising from 46.7% to 75.5% proficiency. In short, district boundaries and school-level factors matter enormously within this zip code — a 4-star option sits just minutes from schools facing severe challenges.