High Schools in Petersburg City Public Schools

Petersburg City Public Schools has only one high school, Petersburg High, which serves students in grades 9-12. The school faces significant academic challenges, with student performance consistently below state averages across multiple subject areas. Despite higher-than-average per-student spending and smaller class sizes, Petersburg City Public Schools as a district has struggled to provide a high-quality education to its students.

Petersburg High's student population is predominantly African American (85.93%) and economically disadvantaged, with 97.13% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's strongest academic performance is in 11th-grade Writing and Chemistry, but it struggles significantly in areas such as Geometry, Algebra I, Biology, and World History, with proficiency rates well below the state averages. This persistent academic underperformance has resulted in the school consistently ranking in the bottom 10% of high schools in Virginia, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the higher per-student spending and smaller class sizes at Petersburg High suggest that the school has access to resources, the data indicates that these resources are not being effectively utilized to improve overall academic outcomes. Addressing the challenges faced by Petersburg High and the broader Petersburg City Public Schools district will likely require a comprehensive, district-wide approach that focuses on targeted interventions, resource allocation, and collaboration with community stakeholders to provide a high-quality education for all students.