The governor’s office has released the findings from the 2026 School Performance and Support Framework, giving us a snapshot of the performance and progress of the more than 1,800 elementary, middle and high schools across the Commonwealth from the 2025-2026 school year.
Drumroll, please.
Staunton is doing great – three of its five schools received the “distinguished” rating, and the other two were rated “meets expectations.”
Augusta County: five rated “distinguished,” seven rated “meets expectations,” seven are on the other side of the pass line, at “approaching expectations.”
Waynesboro, bringing up the rear: none of the six schools rated “distinguished,” two rated “meets expectations,” two rated “approaching expectations,” two rated “needs intensive support.”
Ranking, on a 4-3-2-1 point system – four points for a “distinguished” rating, etc. – the 20 school systems in the state’s Region 5, the borders of which are Lynchburg at the south, Louisa to the east, Harrisonburg/Rockingham to the north, and Bath/Highland to the west:
- Staunton ranks fifth (3.60 average score).
- Augusta County ranks 14th (2.89 average score).
- Waynesboro ranks 18th (2.00 average score).
Four school systems – Buena Vista, Lexington, Louisa County and Nelson County – had the entirety of their school systems getting “distinguished” ratings.
The two school systems that ranked below Waynesboro in the region:
- Harrisonburg was 19th (1.80 average score).
- Lynchburg was 20th (1.60 average score).
Staunton
| School Name | Framework Score | Performance Category | ||
| Arthur R. Ware Elementary | 92.57 | Distinguished | ||
| Bessie Weller Elementary | 91.07 | Distinguished | ||
| Shelburne Middle | 84.33 | Meets Expectations | ||
| Staunton High | 95.09 | Meets Expectations | ||
| Thomas C. McSwain Elementary | 96.12 | Distinguished | ||
Augusta County
| School Name | Framework Score | Performance Category |
| Buffalo Gap High | 92.74 | Distinguished |
| Buffalo Gap Middle | 86.15 | Meets Expectations |
| Cassell Elementary | 86.39 | Approaching Expectations |
| Churchville Elementary | 86.71 | Approaching Expectations |
| Craigsville Elementary | 79.35 | Approaching Expectations |
| Edward G. Clymore Elementary | 84.16 | Approaching Expectations |
| Fort Defiance High | 93.98 | Distinguished |
| Guy K. Stump Elementary | 89.86 | Meets Expectations |
| North River Elementary | 81.60 | Meets Expectations |
| Riverheads Elementary | 87.78 | Meets Expectations |
| Riverheads High | 90.36 | Distinguished |
| Riverheads Middle | 91.80 | Distinguished |
| S. Gordon Stewart Middle | 85.26 | Meets Expectations |
| Stuarts Draft Elementary | 82.74 | Approaching Expectations |
| Stuarts Draft High | 88.01 | Meets Expectations |
| Stuarts Draft Middle | 87.69 | Meets Expectations |
| Wilson Elementary | 80.82 | Approaching Expectations |
| Wilson Memorial High | 94.34 | Distinguished |
| Wilson Middle | 84.52 | Approaching Expectations |
Waynesboro
| School Name | Framework Score | Performance Category |
| Berkeley Glenn Elementary | 83.41 | Meets Expectations |
| Kate Collins Middle | 81.94 | Approaching Expectations |
| Waynesboro High | 73.94 | Needs Intensive Support |
| Wenonah Elementary | 88.13 | Meets Expectations |
| Westwood Hills Elementary | 85.90 | Approaching Expectations |
| William Perry Elementary | 77.76 | Needs Intensive Support |
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Chris Graham
