Summary:
Zip code 24641 is served by two public schools in Tazewell County Public Schools — Richlands Elementary (PK–5) and Richlands High (9–12) — with no middle school in the immediate area, and both schools face chronic absenteeism rates near double the state average despite strong academic results in several subjects.
For parents, Richlands Elementary stands out for its upper-grade test performance: 5th grade math proficiency reached 87.91% and 4th grade Virginia Studies hit 89.90%, both well above district and state averages. Reading proficiency in 4th and 5th grade also tops 88%, while 3rd grade reading lags at 75.31%, suggesting a need for early intervention. The school's statewide rank improved from the 82nd to the 77th percentile between 2023–2024 and 2025–2026. Meanwhile, Richlands High excels in persistence: a 96.4% graduation rate and 2.1% dropout rate beat district and state benchmarks. Algebra I and Algebra II proficiency are outstanding, with 9th grade Algebra I at 94.17% and Algebra II at 100%. However, its statewide rank has slipped from the 86th to the 62nd percentile over three years, with weak spots in 10th grade Biology (67.65%) and 9th grade Geography (71.14%).
Both schools serve high-poverty populations (90.45% free/reduced lunch at the elementary and 88.51% at the high school) yet still beat state averages in key subjects. The biggest shared concern is chronic absenteeism — 25.1% at the elementary and 25.4% at the high school compared to 14.8% statewide. Tazewell County Public Schools ranks in the 85th percentile statewide with a 4-star rating, but individual school rankings are lower, especially at the high school. Operationally, the elementary spends $9,850 per student with a 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio, while the high school spends $9,085 with a much lower 9.3:1 ratio. The absence of a middle school in the zip code creates a pipeline gap for grades 6–8, meaning families must look outside the immediate area for those years.
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