Can I use Petersburg city's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Petersburg city school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Petersburg city?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Petersburg city?

Start with the 9 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Petersburg city Schools & Education

Name: Petersburg city, Virginia Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Petersburg city, Virginia

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

36/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

81.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

81.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,869

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,941

School Score

36/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#117

of 127 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Petersburg city

Measured School Summary

Petersburg city faces educational challenges with a school score of 36/100 and a graduation rate of 81.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,869 per pupil, Petersburg city operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 33% below the Virginia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 8.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Petersburg city before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

9 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

36/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #117 of 127 Virginia counties with school score data.

Completion

81.0%

8.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,869

$72 below the state average

School coverage

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Petersburg city has 9 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Petersburg city school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Petersburg City Public Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 7 of 9 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#117

of 127 Virginia counties with school score data. The county score is 18 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 78% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Petersburg City Public Schools

Elementary to high school visible

4,272 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

Appomattox Regional Governor's School

Other grade structure

0 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

PETERSBURG REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE

Other grade structure

0 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Petersburg City Public Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 7 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Petersburg city?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Petersburg city district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Data Story

Petersburg School Score and Graduation Rate Trailing State Averages

Education data brief for Petersburg city, Virginia.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Petersburg city’s composite school score of 36.4 is notably lower than the Virginia state average of 54.1 and the national median of 50.0. This educational metric aligns with a graduation rate of 81.0%, which is lower than both the state benchmark of 89.0% and the national average of 87.0%. According to the NCES directory, the region is served by three districts, with Petersburg City Public Schools as the primary provider, enrolling 4,272 students across seven schools. This suburban and rural mix includes Petersburg High, the city's largest facility with 1,080 students, and Vernon Johns Middle with 921 students. Per-pupil expenditure in the city is $7,869, nearly identical to the state average of $7,941 but significantly lower than the national expenditure of $13,000. No charter schools are currently operating in the city. See the NCES Common Core of Data for individual school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Petersburg city

Reported Enrollment

4,272

7 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary4

Middle1

High1

Other3

3 School Districts in Petersburg city

Petersburg City Public Schools

Appomattox Regional Governor's School

1 school

0 students

PETERSBURG REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE

1 school

0 students

9 Public Schools in Petersburg city

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 9 of 9 matching schools

Public schools in Petersburg city, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
PETERSBURG HIGH	Profile	Petersburg City Public Schools	Petersburg, 23805Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,080
VERNON JOHNS MIDDLE	Record	Petersburg City Public Schools	Petersburg, 23805Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	921
Pleasants Lane Elementary	Record	Petersburg City Public Schools	Petersburg, 23803Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	540
Cool Spring Elementary	Record	Petersburg City Public Schools	Petersburg, 23803Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	530
Walnut Hill Elementary	Record	Petersburg City Public Schools	Petersburg, 23805Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	515
Lakemont Elementary	Record	Petersburg City Public Schools	Petersburg, 23803Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	349
Westview Early Childhood Education Center	Record	Petersburg City Public Schools	Petersburg, 23803Suburb: Large	PK	Other	337
Appomattox Regional Governor's School	Record	Appomattox Regional Governor's School	Petersburg, 23803Suburb: Large	—	Other	—
PETERSBURG REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE	Record	PETERSBURG REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE	Petersburg, 23805Suburb: Large	—	Alternative	—

PETERSBURG HIGH

Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg, 23805 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,080 students

VERNON JOHNS MIDDLE

Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg, 23805 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle921 students

Pleasants Lane Elementary

Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg, 23803 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary540 students

Cool Spring Elementary

Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg, 23803 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary530 students

Walnut Hill Elementary

Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg, 23805 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary515 students

Lakemont Elementary

Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg, 23803 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary349 students

Westview Early Childhood Education Center

Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg, 23803 / Suburb: Large

RecordPKOther337 students

Appomattox Regional Governor's School

Petersburg, 23803 / Suburb: Large

RecordOtherEnrollment not available

PETERSBURG REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE

Petersburg, 23805 / Suburb: Large

RecordAlternativeEnrollment not available

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,869

State avg $7,941

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Petersburg city against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Virginia counties have the highest graduation rates?

Alleghany County (97.0%), Clarke County (97.0%), and Falls Church city (97.0%) currently lead Virginia among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Virginia?

Across Virginia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,941. The highest current county values are Surry County ($12,490), Highland County ($12,429), and Arlington County ($11,425). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Petersburg city?

Petersburg city has a school score of 36/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Petersburg city?

The high school graduation rate in Petersburg city is 81.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Petersburg city spend per student?

Petersburg city spends $7,869 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Craig County

Virginia

0 pts

36/100

School score

Accomack County

Virginia

+0 pts

37/100

School score

Henry County

Virginia

+0 pts

37/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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