Buchanan County 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.

Grundy, Virginia - 8 schools

An equity score of 76/100 ranks Buchanan County Public Schools #6 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,191 per pupil, Buchanan County Public Schools ranks #62 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,462
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$15,191
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Buchanan County Public Schools operates 8 public schools serving 2,462 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 1 high 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 Buchanan County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,191 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 21.3% local, 52.4% state, and 26.3% 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 76/100, ranked #6 of 131 in Virginia against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 359.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.2% White, 1.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Twin Valley Elementary/Middle, with a diversity index of 8.8/100.

Its largest campus is Riverview Elementary/Middle, enrolling 719 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Council High, at 115 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Riverview Elementary/Middle accounts for 29.2% of all Buchanan County Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Buchanan County Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Buchanan County Public Schools school enrollment varies 6.3× across entities

Buchanan County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 115 students (lowest) to 719 students (highest), a spread of 604 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

Buchanan County Public Schools reports 92.7% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. 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

Buchanan County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 360:1 — 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

Buchanan County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 30.7% — 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?

26.3%
Federal
52.4%
State
21.3%
Local

Funding Equity

76
Equity Score
6 / 131
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Buchanan County Public Schools.

White 97.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
Multiracial 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 5.4/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Twin Valley Elementary/Middle 8.8
  2. 2 Riverview Elementary/Middle 8.2
  3. 3 Hurley Elementary/Middle 7.8
  4. 4 Twin Valley High 6.6
  5. 5 Council Elementary/Middle 5.1

Programs & Resources

359.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Buchanan County Public Schools

School Enrollment
Riverview Elementary/Middle
719
Grundy High
352
Hurley Elementary/Middle
323
Twin Valley Elementary/Middle
240
Hurley High
194
Council Elementary/Middle
194
Twin Valley High
179
Council High
115

How Buchanan County Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Patrick County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Falls Church City Public Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Rockbridge County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Appomattox County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Southampton County Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Buchanan 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.

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 Buchanan County 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 Buchanan County Public Schools?

Buchanan County Public Schools has 8 schools, including 7 combined, 1 high. Total enrollment is 2,462 students.

How much does Buchanan County Public Schools spend per student?

Buchanan County Public Schools spends $15,191 per student. The district has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #6 in Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Buchanan County Public Schools?

Buchanan County Public Schools students are 97.2% White, 1.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Buchanan County Public Schools?

Buchanan County Public Schools has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #6 out of 131 districts in Virginia.