BIG SANDY ISD operates 3 public schools serving 671 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Texas. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 649 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Upshur County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,140 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 26.5% local, 54.8% state, and 18.7% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $82,785 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 60/100, ranked #334 of 1044 in Texas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 326:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 32.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 67.4% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% African American across the district's schools.
Big Sandy El accounts for 49.3% of all BIG SANDY ISD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means BIG SANDY ISD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
BIG SANDY ISD school enrollment varies 2.3× across entities
BIG SANDY ISD school enrollment ranges from 138 students (lowest) to 320 students (highest), a spread of 182 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.
BIG SANDY ISD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 62.7% 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.
BIG SANDY ISD student-counselor ratio is 326:1 — 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 BIG SANDY ISD is typically wider than the BIG SANDY ISD-aggregate figure suggests.
BIG SANDY ISD chronic absenteeism rate is 32.5% — 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.
BIG SANDY ISD has 3 schools, including 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 671 students.
How much does BIG SANDY ISD spend per student?
BIG SANDY ISD spends $14,140 per student. The district has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #334 in Texas.
What is the average teacher salary in BIG SANDY ISD?
The average teacher salary in BIG SANDY ISD is $82,785 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near BIG SANDY ISD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Upshur County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of BIG SANDY ISD?
BIG SANDY ISD students are 67.4% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for BIG SANDY ISD?
BIG SANDY ISD has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #334 out of 1044 districts in Texas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.