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Public middle school · Stafford County Public Schools · Fredericksburg, Virginia

Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle

Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle rates 5.1, right at the middle of Stafford County Public Schools's middle schools, whose rated median is 4.9.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.1this school

5.1 on a one-to-ten scale; the Stafford County Public Schools median is 4.9.

#1,355 of 1,854 schools in Virginia · Stafford County Public Schools: 8 middle schools rated, median 4.9

The brief

A Stafford County Public Schools middle school where students score 8 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,355 of 1,854 schools in Virginia and 17 of 32 in Stafford County Public Schools.

Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle is listed in Stafford County Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math66%2 points below the Virginia average of 68%2025 SOL
Reading75%1 point above the Virginia average of 74%2025 SOL
Proficiency has fallen 13 points since 2019, to 71% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 SOL; 32 test records from VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.6
40% of the rating
Academics
5.5
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.7
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 74% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 80% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 22405; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$128,315
Median home value
$413,100
Median rent
$1,931/mo
College educated
44%
Homeownership
85.8%
Poverty rate
5.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 22405; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
3
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
17
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,912/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Fredericksburg. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Fredericksburg), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
36.7%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 5.8Compare →
  2. 5.2Compare →
  3. Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middlethis school
    5.1
Two grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle serve?

Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle?

Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle has an enrollment of approximately 877 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle is 14.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle rank in VA?

Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle ranks #1,355 of 1,854 schools in VA.

What is Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.1 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle has 74% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 80% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle a charter school?

No, Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle a Title I school?

No, Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle?

36.7% of students at Donald B. Dixon-Lyle R. Smith Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
877
Student-teacher ratio
14.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
59
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Stafford County
Rank in district
#17 of 32
Schools in district
34
District spending per student
$13,431
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
5.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 22405)
36,093
Area average commute
37 min
Area median age
37.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Virginia Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.