Summary:
Zip code 24549 in Dry Fork, VA is served by two public schools in Pittsylvania County Public Schools: Tunstall High (grades 9-12, 800 students) and Tunstall Middle (grades 6-8, 609 students), with no elementary or alternative schools in the area.
Tunstall High is a standout high school, ranking 32nd in Virginia (90th percentile, 5 stars) with a 96.4% graduation rate and a 2.5% dropout rate — both better than district and state averages. It beats state proficiency in nearly every SOL subject, with especially strong results in Geometry (95.4%), Algebra I (91.9%), and Biology (85.2% vs. state 68.9%). Tunstall Middle has improved dramatically over three years, climbing from the 61st to 84th percentile in state rankings. It now beats state averages in every tested subject, including Algebra I (96.9%), Civics (89.6% vs. state 70.1%), and 8th grade Reading (83.4% vs. state 73.5%). Both schools serve high-poverty populations (over 85% free/reduced lunch) yet achieve strong academics, with moderate class sizes around 14-15 students per teacher and per-student spending near $8,200.
The most concerning metric is chronic absenteeism: both schools run well above state levels (20.7% at Tunstall High, 18.0% at Tunstall Middle, vs. 14.8% statewide). One notable outlier is 12th grade Writing at Tunstall High at just 61.1% proficiency, far below its own 11th grade Writing score (91.7%) and below the state average — worth investigating. Meanwhile, Tunstall High's statewide percentile has slipped from 98th to 90th over three years, while Tunstall Middle is rising sharply. Together, these schools form a strong secondary pathway with an excellent advanced math pipeline, and both outperform state averages in science and history as well as core subjects. If they can address attendance issues, they have clear potential to climb even higher in Virginia rankings.
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