Buena Vista, Lexington Scores Above Va. Averages
Virginia’s statewide Standards of Learning results inched upward again this year, continuing the slow recovery from pandemic-era declines. State averages for 2025 came in at 74 percent in reading, 75.7 percent in writing, 66.5 percent in history and social science, 72.5 percent in math and 71.2 percent in science. Compared with last year, every subject posted small gains, with math and science showing the strongest three-year improvement since 2023.
Local divisions — Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista — mirrored those statewide trends in different ways. Buena Vista and Lexington again outpaced the state in most subjects, while Rockbridge County’s results showed uneven progress, with encouraging signs in some areas and persistent gaps in others.
Rockbridge County
Rockbridge County’s division- wide results for 2025 came in at 71.7 percent in reading, 72.6 percent in writing, 62.4 percent in history and social science, 67.4 percent in math and 68.3 percent in science.
Those numbers mark a mixed picture compared with 2024, when reading was higher at 73.8 percent and writing topped out at 73.9 percent, but history was lower at 59.9 percent and science trailed at 63.7 percent.
The county’s reading performance has seesawed over the past three years: 71.3 percent in 2023, up to 73.8 in 2024, then back down to 71.7 in 2025. Writing tells the opposite story, surging from just 59.3 percent in 2023 to hold steady in the low 70s for two years. Math and science, though still below state averages, have ticked upward each year, while history and social science continue to be the county’s weakest subject, stuck in the low 60s overall.
Superintendent Phillip Thompson said the numbers reflect a system that is improving but not yet where it wants to be.
“While we have made meaningful improvements, we recognize that there is still important work ahead of us,” he said. “Our focus will remain on identifying and addressing the areas where growth is most needed, ensuring that our efforts are both purposeful and impactful. Continuous improvement is our goal, and we are committed to making steady progress so that we can better serve our students, staff and community.”
At the school level, the contrasts are sharp. Mountain View Elementary posted strong history and math scores — nearly 90 percent in history and 82 percent in math — but saw reading fall dramatically from more than 80 percent last year down to just 68.
Natural Bridge Elementary fared worst, with reading dropping below 50 percent and science falling under 40 percent, both far below the state averages.
Fairfield Elementary offered a bright spot, with history climbing to 76 percent after bottoming out at 49 percent in 2024.
Central Elementary turned in steady scores across subjects, while Maury River Middle School hovered in the mid-60s to mid-70s.
At Rockbridge County High School, students performed well in reading and writing, at 83.6 and 73.3 percent, but history remains staggeringly low at just 23 percent — a 10point drop from last year.
Thompson said the county’s instructional strategies are designed to move those numbers steadily upward.
“Our instructional practices remain both targeted and intentional, with teachers consistently delivering highly engaging lessons that foster active participation and deeper understanding,” he said. “We place a strong emphasis on the use of formative assessments, which allow us to closely monitor student progress and identify specific skills and concepts that require additional attention. By aligning instruction with these ongoing assessments, we are able to provide responsive, focused support that ensures each learner has the opportunity to grow and succeed.”
Still, he acknowledged that Rockbridge continues to trail the state in most subjects.
“We will continue to prioritize the delivery of highquality, engaging lessons that move students beyond surface-level understanding and challenge them to apply their knowledge in meaningful and practical ways,” Thompson said. “Encouraging learners to operate at the application stage of learning not only deepens comprehension but also strengthens critical thinking and problemsolving skills. In addition, we remain committed to the intentional alignment of our curriculum, ensuring that instruction is both coherent and targeted to state standards as well as the unique needs of our students.”
Looking ahead, Thompson said the division is preparing for both statewide mandates and new tools.
“A major priority is the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act across grades K–8, which will strengthen our literacy instruction through evidencebased practices and ensure alignment with state expectations,” he said. “While our teachers have always worked hard to develop highly engaging lessons, the use of Artificial Intelligence offers new opportunities to enhance lesson design, making learning experiences even more personalized, efficient, and impactful. To support this, we have scheduled several professional development sessions focused on the effective integration of AI into instructional planning. These sessions will empower teachers to create high-quality lessons that foster deeper understanding and student engagement.”
Buena Vista
Buena Vista’s students again performed above the state average in nearly every subject, with division- wide pass rates of 74.7 percent in reading, 61.3 percent in writing, 75.7 percent in history and social science, 78.8 percent in math and 71.8 percent in science. Compared with 2024, the city held steady in reading, improved in writing and history, nudged upward in math and dipped in science. Over three years, history has made the biggest leap, rising nearly 20 points since 2023.
At the school level, Enderly Heights Elementary saw mixed results, with reading at 72.2 percent, history up to 78.3 percent, math at 76 percent, and science falling to 63.6 percent.
Parry McCluer Middle School maintained strong performance, with nearly 80 percent of students passing in reading, 76 percent in history, and 83 percent in math.
Parry McCluer High School showed steady progress in English, with reading at 76.1 percent and writing at 61.3 percent, but history and social science remained below 50 percent for another year.
Superintendent Heather Ault said she is proud of the division’s track record of outperforming the state.
“Our results this year show that Buena Vista City Public Schools students are performing above the state average in nearly every subject,” she said. “Reading, math, science, and history all exceeded the state benchmarks, while writing — though still below the state average — showed meaningful improvement from last year. We are extremely proud of our students’ performance, which reflects the dedication and hard work of our teachers, staff, students, and families. It truly takes a team effort to consistently outperform the state average, and that spirit of collaboration is evident across BVCPS.”
She credited the “all-in” approach of staff, students, and families, along with instructional changes, for driving gains.
“The continued collaboration and ‘all-in’ approach to supporting our students continues to ensure our students in BVCPS experience success,” Ault said. “Last year was the first year of implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act, and our elementary teachers implemented a new Core Curriculum in their classrooms. Our middle school reading scores were especially strong last year, with an 80 percent pass rate and an impressive 20 percent of those who passed earning a pass advanced score. Our high school English scores have improved every year for the past three years to a level where they surpassed the state average for the first time this past year.”
Still, Ault acknowledged that writing remains a focus for the future. “Writing will continue to be a focus across grade levels and content areas,” she said. “While our writing pass rates improved last year, there is still more work to be done in this area.”
She also noted that a vote by the Virginia Board of Education to raise the minimum “cut scores” for passing SOL tests could affect outcomes across the state. “If approved, this change will present a challenge for all school divisions, as students will need to achieve higher scores on their SOL tests this spring to meet the new passing standard,” she said.
Overall, though, Ault emphasized a sense of momentum. “Our students and teachers should be proud of these results. They show resilience, persistence, and growth across multiple subjects,” she said. “At the same time, our division is not standing still — we see these results as a baseline to keep pushing forward. The story of Buena Vista schools is one of collaboration and continuous improvement, and we’re excited to build on this momentum in the year ahead.”
Lexington
Lexington City Schools again posted some of the region’s strongest scores, with division-wide results of 91.7 percent in reading, 89.6 percent in history and social science, 87 percent in math, and 87.9 percent in science. Those numbers not only outpace the state averages but also represent a rebound from 2024, when Lexington dipped in several subjects. Over the three-year span, the city is nearly back to its 2023 levels in every subject, with reading climbing steadily year to year.
At Waddell Elementary, students recorded 93.7 percent in reading, 94.1 percent in history, 93.7 percent in math, and 86.6 percent in science.
Lylburn Downing Middle School followed closely with 91.7 percent in reading, 89.2 percent in history, 82.2 percent in math, and 89.2 percent in science. Both schools posted gains compared with 2024.
Superintendent Rebecca Walters praised the results, calling them proof of the district’s consistent focus on aligning instruction and providing support.
“As a school district, we are once again very proud of our students’ academic performance as reflected in our spring 2025 SOL testing outcomes,” Walters said. “Preliminary results are strong in all core content areas for both Harrington Waddell Elementary School and Lylburn Downing Middle School. We are very pleased that LCS showed growth for ‘All Students’ in all four core content areas this spring.”
Walters said teachers and principals emphasize aligning instructional plans to the state’s new Standards of Learning, monitoring mastery of concepts, and making adjustments based on performance data.
“Teachers have continued their work updating pacing guides and curriculum plans, using new textbooks and instructional materials, and responding to student learning needs,” she said.
She also highlighted the district’s tutoring efforts, supported by All-In state funding.
“Waddell Elementary School offers after-school tutoring for K–5 in math and reading two days each week for students who are recommended by their teacher,” she said. “Lylburn Downing Middle School revised their afterschool tutoring and homework help programs last year and offers academic support three days a week. These programs have seen positive results in supporting students who are struggling with core concepts and need additional practice with a teacher. The programs also support our efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism by offering additional learning time for students who have missed days of school.”
With that funding set to expire, Walters said Lexington will need to build the cost into its local budget. She also pointed to the addition of a new math coach at Lylburn Downing Middle School as a promising support. “We feel good about the plans and support this new position is able to offer,” she said.
“As always, we seek continuous growth and improvement, but could not be more pleased with these results and the incredible work our students, teachers, and families put in during the school year,” Walters added.
