Alleghany Highlands Public Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Low Moor, Virginia - 7 schools

An equity score of 48/100 ranks Alleghany Highlands Public Schools #73 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,827 per pupil, Alleghany Highlands Public Schools ranks #76 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,878
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$14,827
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools operates 7 public schools serving 2,878 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Alleghany County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,827 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.4% local, 53.3% state, and 11.3% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 48/100, ranked #73 of 131 in Virginia against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 391.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 34.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.9% White, 7.0% African American, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Jeter-Watson Elementary, with a diversity index of 42.3/100.

Its largest campus is Alleghany High, enrolling 818 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sharon Elementary, at 216 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Alleghany High accounts for 26.0% of all Alleghany Highlands Public Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Alleghany Highlands Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools school enrollment varies 3.8× across entities

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 216 students (lowest) to 818 students (highest), a spread of 602 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools reports 74.1% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 391:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 34.8% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.3%
Federal
53.3%
State
35.4%
Local

Funding Equity

48
Equity Score
73 / 131
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Alleghany Highlands Public Schools.

White 81.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
African American 7.0%
Multiracial 6.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 31.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Alleghany Highlands Public Schools's schools, below the Virginia average of 53.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Jeter-Watson Elementary 42.3
  2. 2 Mountain View Elementary 38.6
  3. 3 Clifton Middle 33.0
  4. 4 Alleghany High 32.6
  5. 5 Sharon Elementary 23.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
391.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
34.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Alleghany Highlands Public Schools

School Enrollment
Alleghany High
818
Clifton Middle
594
Jeter-Watson Elementary
491
Mountain View Elementary
415
Covington High
339
Callaghan Elementary
270
Sharon Elementary
216

How Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Colonial Heights City Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Greene County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lee County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Page County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Waynesboro City Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Alleghany Highlands Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Virginia

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Alleghany Highlands Public Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Fairfax County Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Alleghany Highlands Public Schools?

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 2,878 students.

How much does Alleghany Highlands Public Schools spend per student?

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools spends $14,827 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #73 in Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools?

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools students are 81.9% White, 7.0% African American, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Alleghany Highlands Public Schools?

Alleghany Highlands Public Schools has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #73 out of 131 districts in Virginia.