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Bedford, Virginia - 19 schools
An equity score of 35/100 ranks Bedford County Public Schools #99 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,790 per pupil, Bedford County Public Schools ranks #102 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
9,084
Total Enrollment
19
Schools
$12,790
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Bedford County Public Schools operates 19 public schools serving 9,084 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 combined, 3 high, 3 middle, 1 elementary schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Bedford County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,790 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 32.1% local, 52.1% state, and 15.7% 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 35/100, ranked #99 of 131 in Virginia against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 19 schools offering Advanced Placement (86 AP courses district-wide), a 306.2:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 14.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 78.1% White, 7.4% African American, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bedford Primary, with a diversity index of 48.5/100.
Its largest campus is Jefferson Forest High, enrolling 1,282 students (14% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Otter River Elementary, at 167 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Bedford County Public Schools school enrollment varies 7.7× across entities
Bedford County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 167 students (lowest) to 1,282 students (highest), a spread of 1,115 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.
Bedford County Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 59.4% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Bedford County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 306:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Bedford County Public Schools is typically wider than the Bedford County Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Bedford County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 14.1% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Comparisons are relative to Bedford County 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.
How many schools are in Bedford County Public Schools?
Bedford County Public Schools has 19 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 12 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 9,084 students.
How much does Bedford County Public Schools spend per student?
Bedford County Public Schools spends $12,790 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #99 in Virginia.
What is the demographic composition of Bedford County Public Schools?
Bedford County Public Schools students are 78.1% White, 7.4% African American, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 19 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Bedford County Public Schools?
Bedford County Public Schools has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #99 out of 131 districts in Virginia.