Charlottesville City 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Charlottesville, Virginia - 9 schools

An equity score of 70/100 ranks Charlottesville City Public Schools #24 of 131 districts in Virginia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,100 per pupil, Charlottesville City Public Schools ranks #10 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending (Virginia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,485
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$20,100
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Charlottesville City Public Schools operates 9 public schools serving 4,485 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Virginia. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle 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 Charlottesville City.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,100 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 14 of 131 Virginia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Virginia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 68.6% local, 24.2% state, and 7.2% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 70/100, ranked #24 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (24 AP courses district-wide), a 293.3:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 14.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 38.7% White, 25.0% African American, 13.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Clark Elementary, with a diversity index of 77.9/100.

Its largest campus is Charlottesville High, enrolling 1,438 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Greenbrier Elementary, at 267 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Charlottesville High accounts for 32.1% of all Charlottesville City Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Charlottesville City Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Charlottesville City Public Schools school enrollment varies 5.4× across entities

Charlottesville City Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 267 students (lowest) to 1,438 students (highest), a spread of 1,171 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Charlottesville City Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 63.1% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Charlottesville City Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 293:1 — 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 Charlottesville City Public Schools is typically wider than the Charlottesville City Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Charlottesville City Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 14.5% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

7.2%
Federal
24.2%
State
68.6%
Local

Funding Equity

70
Equity Score
24 / 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 9 schools in Charlottesville City Public Schools.

White 38.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
African American 25.0%
Asian 8.2%
Multiracial 14.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 72.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Charlottesville City Public Schools's schools, above the Virginia average of 53.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Clark Elementary 77.9
  2. 2 Johnson Elementary 76.4
  3. 3 Jackson-Via Elementary 75.9
  4. 4 Buford Middle 75.0
  5. 5 Walker Upper Elementary 73.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 9
Schools with AP
24 AP courses total
293.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
14.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Charlottesville City Public Schools

School Enrollment
Charlottesville High
1,438
Walker Upper Elementary
570
Buford Middle
563
Jackson-Via Elementary
370
Johnson Elementary
327
Venable Elementary
320
Burnley-Moran Elementary
299
Clark Elementary
285
Greenbrier Elementary
267

How Charlottesville City Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Virginia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Botetourt County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
King George County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Halifax County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Caroline County Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Petersburg City Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Charlottesville City 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.

Compare Charlottesville City 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 Charlottesville City Public Schools?

Charlottesville City Public Schools has 9 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 6 combined. Total enrollment is 4,485 students.

How much does Charlottesville City Public Schools spend per student?

Charlottesville City Public Schools spends $20,100 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #24 in Virginia.

What is the demographic composition of Charlottesville City Public Schools?

Charlottesville City Public Schools students are 38.7% White, 25.0% African American, 13.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Charlottesville City Public Schools?

Charlottesville City Public Schools has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #24 out of 131 districts in Virginia.