Virginia Released 2026 School Performance Framework Findings
Families can now check how local school systems across the Commonwealth ranked based on the 2025-2026 school year.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The governor's office released the 2026 School Performance and Support Framework findings, which evaluated over 1,800 schools across Virginia. The report assigns performance ratings for individual school systems based on their results from the 2025-2026 school year.
Why it matters
These rankings provide parents and households with a transparent look at school system efficacy, offering insight into which districts are meeting expectations or require additional support. The framework uses a standardized 4-3-2-1 point system to help families evaluate the educational quality of their local school systems.
Within Region 5, Staunton achieved an average score of 3.60, while Augusta County ranked 14th with a 2.89 and Waynesboro ranked 18th with a 2.00. Meanwhile, districts including Buena Vista and Lexington saw all of their schools receive distinguished ratings.
The players
Governor of Virginia
The state's executive office responsible for establishing educational accountability standards and releasing statewide performance metrics.
The details
The framework classifies school system performance into four tiers: distinguished, meets expectations, approaching expectations, and needs intensive support. These ratings are calculated using a 4-3-2-1 point system that measures overall academic and support outcomes. Local systems like Waynesboro, which recorded two schools in the intensive support category, are ranked against other regional peers to provide comparative performance data for families.
Timeline
The performance report covers the 2025-2026 school year.
The findings were officially released on October 7, 2026.
The Home Front
The 2026 School Performance and Support Framework sets a new benchmark for evaluating student outcomes and system-level performance across Virginia localities. This framework standardizes how the state monitors educational quality, influencing how families assess local school system performance.
Review the specific rating assigned to your district to understand how your local schools are currently performing under the new framework. You may want to contact your school board representative to discuss what support resources are available for systems requiring intensive improvement.
The takeaway
Understanding these school rankings can help families make informed decisions about their educational planning for the coming years. Check the official report findings to see how schools in Staunton, Augusta County, and Waynesboro compare to regional averages.
Further reading
Explore more about how school ratings are determined on the Secondary Education page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Augusta Free Press.
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